


The Drift

by TRCelyne



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, I Don't Know Where This Is Going, I might not have tagged everything, Pacific Rim AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-04
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2018-04-02 21:14:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 61,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4074097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TRCelyne/pseuds/TRCelyne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaiju (japanese name) : Giant monster</p><p>Shepherd (english name): One who protects, guides, or watches over people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue - Pacific Rim

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, this is my first (and probably only) fanfiction. I am not a writer, but I draw a lot. You can find my artwork and headcanons of this AU on my Tumblr and Deviantart accounts, the usernames are the same as the one I use here.
> 
> Secondly, English isn't my native language. I don't have a proofreader, or if I have, he might not read it as soon as I send him the chapter. I'll do my best to avoid making mistakes though.
> 
> Thridly, I don't know where this is going. I probably haven't put all the necessary tags, for example regarding Lissa. Only the headcanons will help me decide what will happen.
> 
> And finally: ENJOY!!

**Kaiiju (japanese name) : Giant monster**

**Shepherd (english name): One who protects, guides, or watches over people.**

 

_Whenever people feel small or lonely they look up to the stars, wondering if there’s life up there. It turns out they were looking in the wrong direction. When alien life entered the human world, it was from the depths of the Pacific ocean. A fissure between two tectonic plaques. A portal between dimensions: the Breach._

_Chrom was fifteen when the first kaiju appeared in Plegia._

_By the time tanks, jets and missiles took it down - six days and fifty kilometres later – three cities were destroyed. Tens of thousands of lives were lost. The dead were mourned, memorials were built up, and life went on._

_But then, only six months later, there was a second attack on Rosanne. And then a third one hit Chon’sin. And a fourth. And then humanity learned this was not going to stop. This was just the beginning._

_The world needed a new weapon. All the resources were gathered and the old rivalries put aside for the sake of a greater future. To fight monsters, humanity created monsters of its own; the Shepherd Program was born._

_There were problems at first. The neuronal load of the interface of the Shepherd was too much for a single pilot. A two-pilot system was implemented: a left-hemisphere-right-hemisphere pilot control. Humanity started winning. The Shepherds were stopping kaijus everywhere. But the Shepherds were good only if their pilots were, so Shepherd pilots became rock stars. Danger turned into propaganda. And kaijus into toys._

_And then… everything changed._

 

* * *

 

 

Chrom ran with all his might in the large corridors of the Shatterdome, and entered the laboratory by slamming the door.

  - "Lissa!”

 A young blond girl lifted her head. Her hair was tied in two ponytails, transparent protection glasses were neatly put on her nose, and a surgical mask was hiding her mouth.

 - “Make it quick, Chrom, I’m in the middle of an experiment!”

\- “Robin! She’s coming here!”

 Lissa slided her mask downwards and looked at the blue haired man with a pleasantly surprised look.

 - “Seriously, Chrom? Your pilot-crush got hired by Emm?”

\- “Stop using that word!”

 Lissa giggled a bit and put her mask back on, before returning to the piece of kaiju brain she was dissecting. She covered it with a piece of plastic to prevent the organ from being damaged.

 - “Maribelle, you heard that?”

 A voice came from the stockroom of the laboratory.

 - “Lissa dear, I’m in the archives from head to toe, I can’t hear all your brother’s gossips!”

 Lissa giggled again and wiped her gloves, covered in blue blood, on her white coat, walking towards Chrom. The young man’s lips were distorted into a small pout, his cheeks slightly red. Her sister came to him and nearly put her hand on his shoulder, stopping just before touching him to not stain him with her gloves. She smiled.

 - “Joking apart, I think it’s a great opportunity for you to finally meet her. When is she coming ?”

\- “Tomorrow I guess”

 Chrom smiled back and tried to keep control of himself. But he then took his sister in his arms, spinning her round while she yelped, asking him to put her back down before she stained his training clothes. His whole being was filled with joy and excitement.

He was going to meet Robin.

 

______

 

Robin arrived by helicopter the following morning. It was pouring outside, and it was practically impossible to walk without getting instantly drenched. Robin was about to get down anyhow, ready to run under the heavy rain, when Emmeryn stopped her with a move of her hand. Someone was approaching with a huge umbrella, but from that distance, it was impossible for her to see who it was.

The blond woman, who had already reached her thirties, nimbly jumped off the helicopter and walked rapidly towards the silhouette. By the time Robin joined them, Emmeryn had opened the second umbrella the other person had brought and handed it to her. She took it, while her commandant stood under the other one. The person who had welcomed them under the pouring rain – now visible - was a woman, probably around Emmeryn’s age. Her sky blue hair was perfectly tied into a plaited bun, with her bangs cut tidily just over her brown eyes.

 - “Robin, this is Phila” Emmeryn introduced“she’s my assistant and also a pilot”

\- “Well, not that much anymore if I dare say” Phila said with a small smile.

 Robin and her exchanged a handshake and the three of them headed towards the base. They reached a quite large elevator. When the doors were closing, they heard a “wait, hold the door!” before a group of four people got in, pushing two huge containers filled of yellow liquid. Robin looked at them and recognized kaiju parts inside them, but wasn’t able to identify them with precision.

A young girl with blond ponytails wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her white shirt and smiled.

 - “Thanks, Emm.”

 Robin looked at Emmeryn suspiciously, surprised someone would use a nickname to address her. The commandant noticed her perplexed expression and pointed the other girl, and then the three other people accompanying her.

 - “Robin, here is my younger sister, Lissa. She’s a scientist, and studies kaijus. Maribelle, her assistant. Miriel, our mathematician. She tries to predict every kaiju apparition.”

\- “I would prefer the term “calculate”.” Miriel pointed out, rearranging her tiny glasses on her nose.

\- “My name is Ricken, I’m Miriel’s assistant!” the last one said, a boy who looked even younger than Lissa.

 Robin nodded “My name is Robin. I am a form-“ Emmeryn looked at her intensely, making her correct immediately “I am a pilot.”

 Lissa almost jumped at her “Oh my Naga you’re Robin?!” she shook her hand vigorously “my brother is a huge fan of yours! He’s been overexcited since he learnt you were coming here!”

 Robin took a second to assimilate the information, and looked at Emmeryn with a surprised expression. Lissa had not released her hand.

 - “I have a brother and a sister, both younger than me.” the chief specified.

\- “Oh” was her only response.

 All the while, Miriel scribbled notes on a piece of paper while Ricken was helping her calculate. Maribelle was cleaning one of the containers with a tissue. All of them seemed very dedicated to their work, and somehow Robin felt glad and relieved to see this. There were people who tried to understand why the world had turned this way. She smiled gently. Lissa finally released her hand.

The elevator stopped, and Emmeryn and Phila got out. Robin followed them silently. She turned a last time towards the elevator, just enough to see the door close on Lissa, waving at her and smiling brightly.

 - “See you later, Robin!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked this pseudo-test-prologue! I might upload the rest of the chapters on an irregular basis (I hope I will make a schedule actually but I don't have too many hopes).
> 
> Don't hesitate to leave comments!


	2. The Shatterdome

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom lifted his head and saw Emmeryn approaching, accompanied by Phila and an other woman. His eyes went wide and his cheeks turned a bit red. That silhouette. That long auburn hair tied into a ponytail, and those long strands in front of her face .Those piercing brown eyes. That imperturbable look. Robin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! I won't be writting this week, as I am not home. So you'll have to be patient!

The Shatterdome was huge. So huge Robin had difficulties seeing the ceiling, and the openings facing the sea which were used for Shepherds to leave the base looked small from afar. The whole place was crowded: technicians, engineers, assistants, everyone was busy. The Shatterdome was, in other words, like a giant beehive, with Emmeryn reigning at its head.

Robin caught up to Phila and the commandant who had continued walking. She was looking everywhere, counting the number of Shepherds – she saw three of them – before her eyes fell on a huge clock over the entrance of the hangar, nearby the elevator. It was displaying 14 hours and 35 minutes.

She pointed it. “What’s this?”

Emmeryn kept on walking, making her voice clear “The war clock. We reset it after every kaiju attack, it helps us keep focused. The rhythm of the attacks is accelerating.”

\- “When’s the next one?”

\- “Miriel thinks it’ll be in two weeks or so.”

Robin gave it one last look before joining them again. Phila was walking silently, accompanying Emmeryn like a graceful shadow. They walked past a Shepherd. It was a recent one, and Robin instantly recognised it as a Category Four. Its hull was made of steel, and was very probably painted in white when it got out of the factory. It had now turned to a light grey, but it was still intact. A ton of technicians were working on it, especially on the left arm, were the hull had been taken off for better access to the internal parts.

The three women approached the feet of the giant armour. Two girls were sitting on the right feet of the machine, a few meters above them. They noticed their commandant’s presence, and jumped from their perch. One of them landed nimbly on the ground, the other fell as soon as she touched the floor. The first one, who had long red hair, helped the other get up. She apologized for her clumsiness a dozen times, when Phila stopped them.

\- “Girls, we would like to introduce you our new pilot.”

Both of them straightened their backs and saluted them. Emmeryn moved her hand to indicate them to stand at ease, and they did. She crossed her arms behind her back and looked at both of them.

\- “Ladies, let me introduce Robin, one of our best pilots. Robin, here are Cordelia and Sumia, the pilots of the Pegasus Knight that you see over here.”

The red haired girl gave Robin her hand “Pleased to meet you. I heard a lot about you, you’re one of our models here. My name is Cordelia.”

Robin took her hand and shook it “Robin. Pleased to meet you as well.”

The other girl smiled gently, her light brown curls dancing around her pale face “I am Sumia. Welcome to the Shatterdome! I see that Marshal Emmeryn is showing you the place?”

Robin nodded. Sumia looked at Cordelia and smiled again, before turning her face to Robin “Feel free to drop by after your visit, so we can have tea together!”

Robin accepted gladly, and she left with Phila and Emmeryn a few minutes afterwards. Both girls waved at them until they were a few meters away. They had made a good impression on Robin, and she was persuaded that their drift was flawless. They seemed to complete each other very well. She smiled. Emmeryn really did her best to gather the best pilots she had, whatever mission she was going to give them all.

Because she had no idea why she had come here for.

 

_She had woken up before the sun on that morning. Ignoring the growl her stomach made, she had headed to the Wall of Life, the new anti-kaiju plan, since the Shepherd one had been declared inadequate. Ever since her mother had died, she had been working here and there, following the Wall where it needed her. She didn’t like it though; there was a part of her that was unconsciously persuaded that it wasn’t going to work. But she had always been part of the ones who could save the world. If she had been on a Shepherd, she could work on that Wall. It was the same as being a pilot. Everyone risked their lives daily, might it be on a giant armour or on a concrete wall._

_When lunch break had finally arrived, she had stopped her work with a sigh. Five years like this. She didn’t know for how long she was going to do this, if she would die falling from a girder or if she would finally get over her mother’s death and move on, or maybe stop chasing after her past glory. She was just living day by day – surviving – without any will to make things change._

_On that day, she had seen on TV along with every other worker what their duty had been thrown off to. A kaiju had appeared in Port-Ferox. They saw the Wall they had spent days and lives on, getting torn like_ _ a sheet of paper _ _. Murmurs had arisen from the crowd. At one point the voice on the TV had seemed unbearable to Robin’s ears and she had looked away. Right. So from now on her not-so-backup-plan had been ruined too._

_A dull sound had come to their ears, and Robin had taken a few steps to look outside. She had been the only one who wasn’t surprised by the apparition of the military helicopter that landed in front of the hangar. Emmeryn had gone down in a swift movement and started to walk towards the building. Robin had done the same._

\- “ _Robin.”_

\- “ _Marshal Emmeryn.”_

\- “ _It’s been a long time.”_

\- “ _Five years and four months.”_

\- “ _Can I have a word?”_

 

Robin snapped back to reality when she almost bumped into Phila. Both of them had stopped walking and turned towards a Shepherd that seemed to have just gotten back from a walk under the rain.

-“East Khan” Emmeryn presented “One of the oldest models still on duty.”

Phila pointed over two dark-skinned people, a man and a woman, who were walking towards the entrance of the hangar “Flavia and Basilio, Feroxi.”

Robin made a small nod “I know them, they’ve been defending the Feroxi lines for a few years, right?”

\- “Indeed. Six years, to be exact.” Emmeryn specified.

They finally walked towards the last Shepherd. Phila and her commandant presented it as Exalt, the first and last Category Five Shepherd. Technicians were charging missiles on the upper chest of the robot, others worked on the right knee, which seemed a bit damaged. Emmeryn spoke loudly.

\- “Chrom! Frederick! Welcome back.”

Two men looked at her. One was very tall and muscular, and had a serious look on his face. The other seemed to be around her age, with blue hair, and was slightly taller than her. Both were wearing training clothes.

Chrom lifted his head and saw Emmeryn approaching, accompanied by Phila and an other woman. His eyes went wide and his cheeks turned a bit red. That silhouette. That long auburn hair tied into a ponytail, and those long strands in front of her face .Those piercing brown eyes. That imperturbable look. Robin.

He stood up and straightened his back awkwardly. He felt his heart beating faster. She looked even more impressive in the flesh. “Oh my Naga” went on repeat through his head as the three women approached Frederick and him. He had not expected to meet her this early. He had no even taken the time to prepare a speech or something. Gods.

Emmeryn officially introduced her “Robin, Chrom and Frederick. They were on Port-Ferox when the city was attacked two days ago.”

Chrom ran a hand in his hair and looked away, letting a small embarrassed laugh “It’s nothing, really…”

\- “It is something actually. Not everyone can be proud of having protected a whole city from a giant monster.”

Robin had just spoken. She had spoken to him. She had smiled while speaking. He almost froze. Frederick walked towards Robin and shook her hand, introducing himself formally to her. His tone sounded nice and welcoming. Chrom wondered how his co-pilot could remain this calm. He zoned out for a few seconds, while Robin was chatting with Frederick, Emmeryn and Phila. After years of admiring her, she had finally reappeared from the mysterious place she had disappeared to. He finally managed to grab bits of the conversation.

\- “Actually I saw your intervention on TV the other day. It feels so different to watch the fight from the ground ! You did a very good job.” Robin said with a sincere smile.

\- “I feel honoured, Miss.” Frederick replied with a nod.

Robin looked at Chrom “How many was it again ? You said it was your seventh kaiju if I remember well?”

Chrom’s cheeks reddened “How do you know about this?”

\- “You got interviewed, remember? You said it in front of the rest of the world.”

He waved his hands “Seven kaijus is nothing compared to the fact that you managed to bring back a Shepherd all alone!”

A heavy silence fell on the group. Emmeryn looked at Chrom with a death glare, her whole body radiating with a “oh no, you won’t ruin my efforts” vibe. Phila grimaced. Robin’s eyes were wide open, but she regained her composure after a few seconds.

\- “Still…Seven kills are great.”

Her voice had trembled a bit. Chrom almost made a facepalm. How stupid. She was connected to her mother when she had died on duty. He wanted to apologize but Emmeryn cut him off with a move of her hand.

\- “We’re going to finish the visit. You can get some rest on your rooms.”

\- “Thank you, Marshal” said Frederick with a bow.

Chrom stood there and looked at them go. He then shouted Robin’s name, and she turned back to look at him.

\- “See you at lunch!”

 

___________

 

After the Shepherd hangar, Phila showed Robin the rest of the base. Emmeryn had to leave to attend some meeting, and had let her assistant finish the tour on her own. She showed Robin the training rooms, the mess which was empty for now, indicated were the laboratory was without heading there though, and finally lead her to her room.

\- “I’ll let you settle in your room for now. I’ll come back and get you to go to the mess, does that sound good?”

\- “Oh, I think I can find the way back on my own. Thanks, Phila.”

\- “Understood. Be there at 11:50 am then.”

\- “Got it.”

Phila made sure Robin could open her door, and left once she got inside. The young woman calmly closed the door, and looked at her room. It was rather small, but it was enough for her. There was a single bed on the door’s left, with clean sheets folded on it. On her right were a table and a chair. There was also a cupboard on the door’s right wall to put her stuff on. She went to open the door that was facing her and found a small bathroom, with a tiny shower, toilets, and a sink with a mirror. There were also clean towels and a toothbrush wrapped in a plastic bag.

The whole room wasn’t very luminous and had no window, but it didn’t feel oppressing. On the contrary, she felt at ease. She could almost say she felt at home.

She took off her bag and jacket and put them on the bed. She let her hair down and ruffled it vigorously, and stretched her back.

\- “Time to get started!”

She didn’t have that much belongings: a few pictures with her mother, which she wedged on the mirror’s edges, some clothes that went on the cupboard, and books which ended up on the table. She then put her jacket on the chair, and put the bag on the cupboard as well. After making the bed, she went for a shower and stood for quite a long time there, enjoying the hot water running on her shoulders. She didn’t even remember when was the last time she had taken a hot shower. She put on clean clothes - a high-waisted fatigues with a dark long-sleeved t-shirt – and lay on the bed. She set the alarm clock of her phone to 11:30 am and went for a nap.

 

\- “ _Let’s get to my office, Emmeryn.”_

_The blond woman had not flinched at the irony and had followed her without a word. Robin had sat cross-legged on an unopened wooden boxes and looked at her._

\- “ _It took me a while to find you.”_

\- “ _A woman in my position travels with the Wall to make a living, you know. What do you want?”_

\- “ _I spent the last six months rehabilitating everything I could get my hands on...There’s an old Shepherd, Category Three, and it needs a pilot.”_

_Robin had stood and walked away to avoid eye contact._

\- “ _Look, I can’t have anyone else in my head again. I’m done. I was still connected to my mother when she died, and I don’t want to go through that again. I’m sorry, Emmeryn.”_

\- “ _Haven’t you heard, Robin?”_

_The young woman had turned to look at her. Emmeryn was speaking with that voice that could made crowds rise up. Her eyes were lit with determination and courage._

\- “ _The world is coming to an end. So where would you rather die?”_

_Robin’s heartbeat accelerated._

\- “ _Here?!”_

_Her breath stopped._

\- “ _Or in a Shepherd?!”_

 

The alarm went off and Robin jumped in surprise. She stopped the music that started playing and lay back down on the mattress, sighing loudly. Emmeryn had needed to insist a bit more, but had finally convinced her. Somehow she knew that it was all she was waiting for: being a hero again. Not the ordinary hero of everyday, no, but the hero that would remain in history books. She wanted to feel adrenaline run through her veins again, as if replacing her blood. The only thing she was dreading was drifting with someone.

She gritted her teeth. She didn’t know anyone in this base, and she hadn't seen the Feroxi pilots enough to say she actually knew them. The first step was to get to know the other pilots, probably the trainees too, and of course try out the possible co-pilots Emmeryn –or Phila – had chosen for her.

She was known in the pilot world as “the one who could drift with anyone”, and that was true. That was true five years ago, when she had not faced any trauma, when she had nothing too personal to take with her in the drift and – above all – when she had never chased the R.A.B.B.I.T. Well, she had no proof she would now, but the probability of it happening was rather high. She shivered and got up. She tied her hair back in her long ponytail, leaving the two strands in the front, and got out of her room. Even though she had memorised the plan of the Shatterdome, she had to admit the place was really huge. She struggled a bit to find her way to the mess, but eventually found the place. She managed to arrive on time, and Phila joined her.

This time, the room was full of people. Everyone was chatting, some people were laughing, and the whole place seemed like out of the rest of the world. It somehow looked like an island in the middle of a storm. One could not even guess that there were monsters outside, ready to kill them. Robin shook her head. It wasn’t the time to think about that. While waiting with Phila on the queue, the assistant explained her how the mess worked and gave her the mealtime schedule. She listened with only half an ear, letting her gaze wander upon the crowd. She noticed two girls walking around the tables, serving dishes here and there. Their presence seemed to lighten up the mood wherever they were going, given the bright looks on the people’s faces when they were passing nearby.

When they finally got to the small serving area, which consisted mostly in a rectangular opening on the wall, a middle-aged man with light brown-red hair welcomed them with a smile.

\- “If it’s not my beautiful Phila!”

The man had a very strong accent, which Robin was unable to identify. He looked at her, raising an eyebrow in surprise, and asked:

\- “Oh, a new face? What’s your name, pretty lady?”

\- “Robin.”

The man bowed his head while serving food for Phila and her “I’m Gregor, chef of this glorious mess. Don’t hesitate to drop by and have a chat with me someday!”

Robin smiled and he handed them both their trays. She followed Phila silently and both of them found a place at the end of the long tables of the mess. They didn’t talk very much, but she really enjoyed the few exchanged words. The loud hubbub around her made her feel strangely calm, as if she was in her element. She smiled gently, looking at her food in a distracted manner.

A move followed by a loud thud just next to her almost made her jump in surprise. She took half a second to recognise Chrom, who had sat to her right.

\- “Hey there! Enjoying your food?”

\- “It’s delicious actually. I didn’t know we could afford good food in the army.”

\- “Being in a port helps a lot” Phila said.

Chrom had relaxed and taken his time to review their short conversation from earlier in the morning. He was now more comfortable chatting with her.

He apologized for his attitude, and she brushed it away with a move of the hand, telling him it didn’t matter. The conversation went on, and without noticing it at first, Robin had found herself laughing with him. The guy had a bright personality, and was very friendly with everyone. They ended up talking with the other people sitting next to them, and soon everyone knew about the brand former-but-new pilot.

\- “You people are really loud, what’s gotten into you?”

Robin turned her head and saw a  _really_ pretty young woman standing beside her, with a long and fluffy pink ponytail. It was one of the two “waitresses” of the mess.

A voice rose further on the table “She’s our new legend!”

\- “Come on, I am not a legend, just a pilot!” Robin retorted with a blush on her cheeks.

The girl looked at her and smiled gently “So you’re the famous Robin everyone talks about? My name is Olivia.”

\- “She’s our princess!” said the same voice as before.

Olivia went all red “I am not!!”

Robin noticed that Chrom was avoiding eye contact with the pink-haired girl. A small silhouette appeared then, half hidden behind Olivia. Robin saw a girl, who didn’t look more than fourteen years old, with blond hair whose ends were dyed in green. She was wearing the same haircut as Olivia.

\- “What’s happening up there? Something funny?”

\- “Hello Nowi! We’re introducing the newbie” Chrom explained.

The girl looked at her and smiled brightly “Great! I love meeting new people!! What’s your name?”

\- “Robin. Hum…Nowi? May I ask you a question?”

\- “Yep!”

\- “What is such young girl as you doing in this base?”

The whole table burst into laughter, including Phila, Olivia, and Nowi herself. She rubbed her eyes to get rid of the small tears that had formed due to the laughing.

\- “It’s been a long time since someone asked me this! I’m not as young as I look actually. I am twenty-two but I look like I am ten years younger!”

Robin blushed in embarrassment and apologized, and Nowi answered with a laugh, telling her she liked confusing people with her looks. The two girls left shortly after, returning to their work. Chrom finished his food, a lot calmer, and then stood up. He asked Robin what was her program of the afternoon, and Phila said she had to attend a meeting with Emmeryn regarding her pilot affectation.

\- “You don’t have a co-pilot?” Chrom asked in surprise.

\- “Not yet.”

She noticed the sudden spark that lit Chrom’s eyes. He tried to contain a smile, but ended up grinning a bit. Phila intervened before he could say something.

\- “Chrom, you already have Frederick.”

\- “But Phila, you know I don’t drift well with people. I always end up out of the line! With her ability to drift with anyone, it could work this time!” Chrom said with a pout.

\- “Emmeryn said no.” Phila insisted “End of discussion.”

The assistant got up and took her tray, inviting Robin to join her. She got up as well, giving a sorry smile to Chrom, who smiled back. The young man left the mess before they did, and disappeared in the corridors of the Shatterdome. He was probably gone to negotiate with Emmeryn, and Robin shook her head with a sigh. Emmeryn didn’t like her orders being discussed.

Phila explained that she had to meet with the commandant at 4:00pm, and that she had free time until then. Robin asked if she could help her find Cordelia and Sumia, which Emmeryn’s assistant seemed glad to do. She guided her throughout the dorms, but not the area the pilot lived in, until they arrived in front of a door on which the picture of a Pegasus was pinned.

\- “Here is Sumia’s room. Cordelia’s is the one to the right.”

\- “Thank you Phila. Are you sure they are here though?”

\- “They always have tea after lunch. They get to their training after that.”

\- “Oh, okay. Thanks again.”

Phila nodded, and after telling her where they would meet to attend Emmeryn’s meeting, she left. Robin took a deep breath and made her fingers crack. She had a good feeling with the two girls, and thought that befriending them would be a good start. She gently knocked on the door. Sumia opened it and, when she recognised Robin, stepped aside so she could enter. Cordelia, who was sitting at the table, a mug in hand, smiled at her. Robin grinned.

\- “I heard there’s a tea party here after lunch?”

 


	3. We Need A New Weapon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone remained silent while the commandant walked across the room and stood on the other side of the table, and looked at them. Phila sat next to Frederick without making a sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who wonder or haven't guessed, I'm giving the chapters the names of the OST of Pacific Rim. Just to say.
> 
> On a side note, I'm mentioning Lon'qu under the name Lon'zu. This is absolutely normal, because I am using the names of my version of the game, aka European non-English version (French to be exact).  
> So, expect to see Cherche mentionned as Zelcher and Panne as Palne.  
> I could have used the English names, but I find it disturbing due to the fact both Cherche and Panne are French words (Cherche means "to look for" and Panne "break down (power failure, mechanical etc)").  
> For the case of Lon'zu, it's because "qu" without any vowel after cannot be pronounced in French. And I prefer Lon'zu over Lon'qu.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy your reading!!

Robin looked at the clock on the wall. 3:50 pm. She sighed, and stretched her arms, leaning on the back of her chair. Frederick lifted his head from the files he was reading, sitting across the table.

  - “Are you okay, Miss?”

 - “Oh, yes. I’m just a bit tired.”

 - “I suggest you to not stay up late tonight, as your training begins tomorrow morning.”

Robin nodded and the man went back to his reading. The two of them were the only ones already in the meeting room, where the silence was only interrupted by the regular ticking of the clock. Phila had gone to tell Emmeryn she was there. A few minutes went on, during which Robin thought about Sumia and Cordelia. They had talked for a long hour while sipping peach tea, which the clumsy girl had prepared with care and attention. Their conversation was mostly about the other pilots, which turned into a small gossiping, before going towards fighting skills and Shepherds. Cordelia had stopped Sumia just before she could talk endlessly about the Pegasus Knight.

Chrom entered the room without a word, and sat at Frederick’s left. Robin exchanged a glance with him, and he smiled a bit, before crossing his arms on the table and looking away. He seemed a bit concerned. Robin couldn’t help but giggle when she remembered how red Sumia and Cordelia’s cheeks were when she had started to talk about him. It didn’t require an extraordinary sense of observation to understand that both of them had a crush on the blue-haired man, who was very probably totally oblivious about it. Chrom looked at her, an eyebrow raised.

  - “Something funny?”

 - “Oh, nothing important, really.”

 - “Dear Naga, whose delightful silhouette am I seeing there?”

Both of them looked at the door, where a tall man with light brown hair had appeared. Robin got up from her chair in one leap and ran towards him.

  - “Oh my Naga, Stahl?!” She jumped in his arms.

 - “Hey theeeeeere!” He answered merrily, spinning her round. “You seem to be in great shape! How many years has it been?”

 - “Five years already.”

He put her back down “Quite a while, huh? I bet you have tons of crazy stories to tell me.”

 - “Probably less than you!”

Chrom looked at them, squinting his eyes. They knew each other? How? He glanced at Frederick, who had not flinched at the apparition of Stahl and was still reading with attention.

Both of them went on talking keenly, when an other person came in. It was Sully, Stahl’s co-worker, and Robin hugged her as well. She seemed really happy to see them, and Chrom noticed a spark of light in her eyes. He cleared his throat.

  - “You guys know each other?”

Robin turned to him, and explained with a bright smile “They were already working on preparing Shepherds and initializing drifts when I was still a trainee! Those guys are the best!”

Stahl patted her on the shoulder with a smile, while Sully put her hands on her hips and looked at her with a grin. Chrom nodded, and watched them sit together; Stahl was on Robin’s right and Sully to her left. They kept on talking and sharing news about the past five years, only stopping when Emmeryn and Phila entered the room.

Everyone remained silent while the commandant walked across the room and stood on the other side of the table, and looked at them. Phila sat next to Frederick without making a sound.

  - “I see that everyone’s here” Emmeryn started with a serious tone “let’s start the meeting then.” She went on speaking, walking slowly around the table “I’ll skip the presentations, as you all know Robin now, and I’ll get straight to the topic: she needs a co-pilot as soon as possible, with the highest – Stahl, before you say anything: no, I forgot to ask for snacks – So, I was saying; Robin needs a co-pilot with the highest drift compatibility.”

 - “I thought she had the ability to drift with anyone?” Frederick asked.

 - “She has, but I do not want to take risks. The kaiju attacks are more and more frequent and violent. We do not have enough time to do a perfect training. Robin needs to be operational as soon as she can.”

 - “Plus, the likelihood of her chasing the R.A.B.B.I.T. is rather high, so we need someone who could be able to bring her back if it were to happen, or in the best case, prevent her from doing so.” Phila added , looking through the files Frederick had handed her.

Robin listened carefully to the conversation. Emmeryn was right, and she totally agreed with her. She needed someone who could help her with her trauma, someone with a mind that would be strong enough to not be swallowed by the flow of her memories.

  - “Do you have any suggestions already?” Sully said, crossing her arms on the table.

 - “We thought about Kellam” Phila listed “Tharja, Henry and Say’ri. They’re all available for now, and already have experience.”

 - “I’m not sure Kellam would be a good choice actually” Stahl intervened “he’s too… discreet? He won’t impose his presence in her head to keep her conscious.”

Sully agreed with him “To be honest, Kellam is the kind of pilot who would be an excellent one if he was alone. He’s not cut out for drifting. Or maybe with someone as calm as him.”

Frederick was thinking, rubbing his chin with his hand. “Miss Say’ri just lost her brother, I’m not sure it’d be the best option… And to my remembrance, Mr Henry hasn’t finished recovering from his previous wound.”

 - “How about the trainees? Aren’t there any good elements?” Robin asked.

Everyone stayed silent and looked at the ceiling pensively. Emmeryn was the first to speak.

  - “Lon’zu might be good, I guess. What’s his simulator score?”

Phila looked through the files “Mmh… 62 drops, 59 kills.”

Robin looked at them with a surprised expression “How come he’s still a trainee with so many drops in the simulator? He should already be in a Shepherd.”

Chrom felt a shiver run down his spine. He looked at Robin, who was listening to Emmeryn’s explanation; Lon’zu was a great pilot but – as Kellam did – he had problems finding a drifting partner. She crossed her arms and her mouth distorted into a pensive pout.

  - “I think we should give it a try with him. I mean, I can still change if it doesn’t work. Who was the last person already? You said four pilot names earlier.”

 - “Tharja, right?” Stahl said “it’s… are you sure it’s a good idea, Marshal?”

 - “That girl is creepy” Chrom mumbled.

 - “She seems kinda, I dunno, strange? She’s always alone and silent and I’m pretty sure she tries to cast hexes on people” Sully completed.

Emmeryn looked at them right in the eye “I don’t care about her attitude in the Shatterdome. What I need is someone good in a Shepherd. If she can drift with Robin, then she will. Am I clear?”

Stahl and Sully nodded, while Robin was proceeding what had just been said. Well, she sure needed a good co-pilot, but if she couldn’t even talk with the person outside of the Shepherd, then she didn’t really see the point of it.

  - “What about me?”

Everyone turned towards Chrom, eyes widened. Frederick frowned; Emmeryn glared at him.

  - “What? We all know I never manage to drift totally perfectly with someone, here’s a great occasion! If she can drift with anyone, it might work with me!”

 - “Chrom, you already have a co-pilot. Didn’t you understand what I said during lunch?” Phila said, bending over the table to look at him.

 - “Phila, Emm, please listen. I’m convinced it can work! I mean, we’re the same age, I already “know” her, and I know what to expect while drifting with her. She’d be – no offence Frederick – the perfect co-pilot for me!”

Sully stood and looked at him, a hand on the table “You’re so damn selfish Chrom! We’re talking about finding _her_ a co-pilot, not you!”

 - “Sully, calm down and sit.” Emmeryn ordered.

The short-haired girl did so, grumbling. Stahl turned towards Robin with a concerned look on his face, and the young woman didn’t know what to do. Frederick was still frowning, but she noticed that he was looking at her. She hoped he wouldn’t hold it against her.

 Emmeryn came back to her original spot and straightened her back “Fine, let’s end this quick. We’re going to schedule two drift compatibility tests: one with Tharja, and one with Lon’zu. Robin, does that sound convenient for you?”

 - “Yes.”

 - “Do you have something to add?”

 - “May I proceed differently than just a fight?”

 - “Explain yourself.”

 - “I’d like to talk with them first. Get to know them, and then doing the fighting test. May I?”

 - “Fine. Phila will schedule a short encounter with them. This meeting ends here, you may now return to your posts.”

Sully and Stahl got up, ready to left, and Robin followed them. When she left the room, she saw Frederick looking at her intensely, while Chrom was trying to argue with Emmeryn.

 

_________

 

Olivia was finishing cleaning up the last table of the mess while Nowi swept the floor. Gregor was in the kitchen, cleaning the dozens of trays that had been used during lunch, whistling some unknown tune. When Nowi lifted her head to brush a strand of hair that had fallen in front on her eyes, she noticed a shadow in one of the room entrances. She waved happily.

  - “Hi Lon’zu!!”

The trainee came in and very slightly nodded at her. Olivia turned towards him and smiled to salute him. He was wearing his training clothes, a navy-blue tank top with black trousers. He looked a bit sweaty, and both girls concluded he had just finished training.

  - “I haven’t seen you at lunch, are you okay?” Olivia said.

 - “I wasn’t hungry.”

 - “You don’t look good though…I can grab you something to eat if you want.”

 - “We need to talk.”

 - “Yeah, sure?”

 Lon’zu looked at Nowi, his eyes clearly telling her to leave them alone. The young girl left, saying she would help Gregor with the dishes. Olivia rolled her eyes.

  - “She’s not going to eat you, you know. You could at least be nice to her.”

 - “I’m not comfortable around her –“

 - “ – or any women except Flavia and me, I know. But you could at least make an effort.”

 Lon’zu sat at one of the tables, while Olivia went to the kitchen for a few seconds. She came back with two plates of leftovers, and put one in front of Lon’zu before sitting on the other side.

  - “Eat. I haven’t had the time to have lunch either.”

He nodded and started eating silently. She ate as well, glancing at him from time to time, waiting for him to speak. Lon’zu had eaten half of his plate when he put his fork down and looked at her right in the eye.

  - “I heard you talked to him during lunch.”

 She half-opened her mouth to protest while putting her fork back in the plate.

  - “I told you to avoid him, why did you talk to him?”

 - “First of all, I didn’t talk to him. I introduced myself to the new pilot, and he happened to be sitting next to her. I didn’t talk to him personally. Secondly, I am a grown up woman and I can handle things by myself. You’re being overprotective, Lon’zu.”

The young man looked at her, frowning and gritting his teeth a little. Olivia didn’t avoid eye contact and frowned back at him.

  - “Listen, I am really grateful for you always being here when we were kids. But I toughened up, and I am able to settle my own problems.”

 - “I am worried about you.”

 - “So am I!”

She took his hand and looked at him with eyes full of concern. Her gaze then wandered upon their hands, before she started to play absentmindedly with them.

  - “Lon’zu, I worry about you as much as you do about me but… You can’t spend your life looking after me. You’re almost a pilot now. You need to think about yourself, you know?”

His only answer was a grumble, and she let out a sigh. Letting his hand go, she finished her plate and stood up. She asked him if he was done eating, and after he nodded, she took his plate as well before heading to the kitchen. She didn’t look at him.

  - “You know, Lon’zu, maybe things didn’t work out, but at least I tried. And I think you should do the same.”

 - “I don’t have interest in anyone.”

 - “You didn’t even try. Come on, even a guy! None of us would care.”

 - “I said no. End of discussion.” He stood up “I’ve got to go.”

 Olivia sighed again and watched him leave the room in silence. Nowi showed up by the serving window.

 - “Is he okay?”

 - “I don’t really know…"

 - “Girls, the cleaning’s almost done. You can chat afterwards!” Gregor said from the other side of the kitchen.

 - “Yessir!”

 

_____

 

The night had fallen upon the Shatterdome. It was still pouring outside, and most of the people living there were still working. The place was never asleep, as the Shepherds needed constant maintenance and the reparations required too much time to be done during daytime only.

And as almost everyone did, Lissa was still up working. She was tired, but she couldn’t leave her experiment there to go to bed. She yawned behind her mask and kept on cutting with attention through her kaiju sample. She heard footsteps behind her.

  - “Lissa dear, you need to get some rest.”

 - “Not before I finish this, Maribelle.”

 - “At least drink your tea” answered her assistant with a sigh.

 The young girl nodded absentmindedly. Maribelle brought her the mug, which had been waiting on the desk behind her for several minutes already, and Lissa drank it without even looking at it.

 - “Hum, girls? Miriel and I are – You’re not done already?”

 - “Oh, huh, I’m almost finished, Ricken. We’re about to leave too. Actually, you can go, Maribelle.”

 - “I’m not sure it’d be a good idea…”

 - “I can stay with her if you want?”

Maribelle looked at him, hesitating. Lissa confirmed she could go get rest, and that Ricken would stay with her to make sure she wouldn’t leave too late. She left a few minutes afterwards with Miriel, while Ricken brought a stool closer to the table Lissa was working on and sat not far from her. He kept silent, observing her working meticulously, as if she was doing some sort of open heart surgery. His gaze wandered on her hands, covered by the gloves, then her bare forearms, and without realising it, he was looking at her face. Precisely her eyes, as her mouth and nose were protected by the mask. He shook his head.

  - “Tired, Ricken?”

 - “Huh, no, I was just lost in my thoughts. What are you working on exactly?”

 - “Well, this is a very tiny piece of liver from the kaiju my brother killed two days ago. I am trying to analyse what it is made of, and given the horrid amount of ammonia there is in it, I doubt I’ll find something before it gets too damaged.”

She gave up after a few minutes with a grumble. She took her gloves and mask off, before rubbing her face with her hands. Ricken stood up and patted her back gently, giving her encouraging words. He really admired her hard work, as much as he did for Miriel. She looked at him with a tired smile, before letting her head fall on his shoulder, making the boy gasp silently.

 - “Li-Lissa, are you alright?”

 - “Yeah, I’m just tired… What time is it already?”

 - “2:45 am.”

 - “Oops.”

 She snorted and looked up, putting her hand on his shoulder. He noticed she was the same height as him, and he cursed internally for not being taller. She smiled again, and so did he.

 - “Do you mind helping me cleaning the lab before we leave? It won’t be long, I swear.”

 - “Yeah, sure.”

They spent around fifteen minutes cleaning the place, Lissa taking care of her tools and Ricken tidying and disinfecting the tables. She asked him how his calculus went, and he told her that Miriel and he had troubles finding concrete answers.

  - “What I hate the most is that our theories are confirmed only when a kaiju appears, we cannot tell for sure until the last second.”

 - “Yeah, I get you on this point. My brother’s life is on the line on a daily basis you know. That’s why I’m counting on you!”

Ricken couldn’t control the light blush that coloured his cheeks. He promised to work even harder, and the blond scientist giggled while telling him it was barely possible, given the amount of work he was already doing daily. They both finished their cleaning, and left the laboratory. He accompanied her to her room, and after she thanked him for his help, went to his own.

Their night would be short.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!! The next one is coming soon (I hope so), and it'll focus on Robin's meeting with Tharja and Lon'zu.
> 
> Don't hesitate to leave a comment, or if you have a tumblr, you can leave your headcanons on my askbox (username: trcelyne), or just drop by and say hello!  
> Hint: you might see the related artwork I did for this AU (Aka armors and such!)


	4. Drift Compatibility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basilio winked with a smile and Lon’zu looked away. During his years as a trainee, Robin had always been presented as the genius of piloting, with amazing drifting abilities. He had wanted to drift with her, as a lot of people did, but this will had slightly faded when he had learnt that Robin was actually a girl. He had got over it though, even if he was still mentally preparing himself to talk with a female other than Olivia and Flavia. Well, talking and being nice, that is to say. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He had to be professional and not let his apprehension get the upper hand, otherwise he’d remain a trainee for the rest of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeeeeeere we aaaaaaaaaaare!! This chapter is slightly longer than usual, and I had to separate it in two to not make it too long.

When the alarm slowly started to ring, Robin didn’t recognise it at first, as she was still trapped in her dreams.

 

_Some legends are told,_

_Some turn to dust or to gold,_

_But you will remember me,_

_Remember me, for cent-_

She stopped the tune with a grumble, and rubbed her face on her comfy pillow. Well, it was comfy compared to the other beds she had slept in for the past five years. She lifted her head, still feeling sleepy, and looked at her phone screen; it was 6am. She sighed; getting back the habit of waking up this early would probably be one of the hardest things to achieve. She frowned upon realising that her muscles would be stiff the following morning after the upcoming training, as she hadn’t done so in a while, even though she was still in good shape. After putting some music on, she got up and stretched, then went to the bathroom. She grimaced when she noticed that her hair was all messy and looking like a mane around her shoulders. She tied it loosely to wash her face and finish waking up properly. She then took care of her long auburn hair, tied it correctly, and left the bathroom to grab the clothes she had left on the chair. Once dressed, she turned the music off and headed towards the mess.

 

It wasn’t too crowded, unlike she had thought, and she easily spotted free seats. Gregor greeted her happily when he gave her a tray, filled with toasts and an empty cup with sugar placed next to it. After thanking him with a sleepy smile, she sat down at the end of a table. Using one of the two carafes in front of her, she filled her cup with tea, ignoring the smell of coffee that tickled her nose. She didn’t really like coffee, she preferred tea or chocolate. Her mother used to prepare her chocolate for breakfast before she went off to school every morning. When she grew older, they used to drink tea together. It was even part of their routine during their training. She shook her head and concentrated on her breakfast.

Chrom sat in front of her without a word. She looked at him and greeted him with a smile. He looked even sleepier than her. He poured himself coffee and drank his cup in one go, before filling it again. She snorted.

 

 - “Not a morning person, huh?”

 - “Not really.”

 

She brought her cup to her lips.

 

 - “You tried to negotiate with Emmeryn?”

 - “Yeah.”

 - “…Why do you want to drift with me that much?”

 

He opened his mouth, then closed it, looked at her, then his tray, lifted his head again and took a big breath, to finally sigh.

 

 - “I…You… You’re a model to me. I mean, you’re everyone’s model here, but in my case, I always have admired you from afar. And just when I got authorised to get in a Shepherd, you mysteriously disappeared…”

 - “I quit, I didn’t disappear.”

 - “…Still. You weren’t there anymore, but now you’re back.”

 - “Come on, that’s not the only reason. Everyone could say that.”

Chrom sighed, his cheeks slightly red “I…uh… I have drifting problems. I always end out of the line somehow. I changed co-pilots countless times already. Frederick isn’t an exception, he just happens to drift a bit better with me than the others. So… I thought that maybe… maybe it could work with you?”

 - “Listen, Chrom. I know I have this weird drifting ability, but that was years ago. There is nothing that could guarantee that I still have it now.”

 - “Because you lost your mother?”

 

Robin froze, and so did Chrom. He mumbled excuses, while she finished eating quite fast and stood up.

 

 - “I gotta go, see you later, Chrom.”

 - “Robin, I…”

 

She left before he could finish his sentence. He let his head fall on his tray with an exasperated sigh, almost spilling his coffee on the table.

_Damn, not again._

 

_______

 

 

Miriel was tapping her pen on her lips absentmindedly. Something was wrong with her calculus, and she couldn’t find what. She frowned, looking at the formulas written on the blackboards covering the walls of the room. She pinched her nose and sighed.

Ricken came in, holding a small plate with one hand and folders in the other. He approached her and handed her the plate.

 

 - “Here, I brought food back for you. You need to eat.”

She took it without letting her eyes go from the blackboards “Thank you, breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day.”

 - “Well, you should have a real one once in a while.”

 - “…I can’t find the answer.”

 

Ricken fell silent. He looked at the wall with attention. They had been working on this calculus for weeks already, but they couldn’t find any answers. There was something missing in the formula. He put his folder on one of the tables and sat on a stool, arms crossed, and started to think. He didn’t even notice Maribelle’s arrival, nor did Miriel. The assistant coughed to get their attention. She was holding two cardboard boxes, probably full of data and reports, and was obviously in need of help. Ricken rushed to her and took one of them.

 

 - “Thank you, Ricken. Here are the data Miriel asked for.”

 - “Great, I’ll be able to complete our comparative research with these. Thank you, Maribelle” Miriel said, facing them.

 

The blond girl nodded and left their room to go back to Lissa’s part of the laboratory, which was on the adjacent room. The young scientist was still taking her breakfast at the mess, leaving her assistant alone to take care of her paperwork. She went outside after a few minutes to look for a missing document, when she almost bumped into a tall figure in one of the corridors. She instantly recognised the bright orange hair of the person.

 

 - “Gaius.”

 - “Hello there, Goldilocks. You need something?”

 - “You getting out of my sight.”

 

Maribelle continued walking, ignoring him, but he followed her, unwrapping a lollipop and putting it between his teeth.

 

 - “Come on, you could be nicer, Goldilocks.”

 - “Stop using that ridiculous nickname!”

He raised both his hands “Fine, fine.” He didn’t stop following her though, and walked by her side silently, putting his hands in his pockets. Once they reached the door of the general archives of the Shatterdome, Maribelle put her hand on the handle and turned to him.

 

 - “Don’t you have better things to do?”

 - “Instead of following your angry and graceful figure? Not really.”

 

She rolled her eyes with an exasperated grunt and went in, locking him outside. He spoke loudly to be sure she could hear him.

 

 - “It was a pleasure seeing you, Goldilocks, you just made my day!”

 

Upon those words, he left with a whistle.

 

_________

 

 

Lon’zu had just finished showering when he heard a loud knock on the metal door of his room. He quickly got dressed and slightly opened the door to see who his visitor was. When he saw Basilio standing in front of him, the trainee stepped aside to let him in.

 

 - “You need something?”

 

The older man looked at the whole room silently, as if he was discovering it for the first time. There wasn’t anything particular to it, though. Nothing personal. No books, no pictures, except a plain calendar on the bathroom door. Basilio turned to him with a bright smile.

  

 - “I heard you are becoming a pilot today! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

 - “It’s just a compatibility test, there’s no certainty that I will.”

 - “Still, I’m proud of you, son!”

 

He ruffled through Lon’zu’s messy hair vivaciously, making the young man bend slightly with a small blush. His loud and warm laugh resonated through the room.

 - “They’re finally seeing your worth, kiddo. Be sure Flavia and I will be there for your fight!” 

 - “…There isn’t only a fight.”

Basilio sat on the chair “Ah? Tell me more.”

Lon’zu sat on the edge of the bed, facing him “Robin wants to meet me first.”

 - “So it’s with Robin? Good draw, kiddo! You’ll be fighting with the best of the best. So what has she planned for you?”

 - “I don’t know yet. Phila told me yesterday after dinner. She didn’t know either actually.”

 - “So it’s a surprise, huh? Don’t freak out if she stands too close to you, you’ll probably enter her head soon.”

 

Basilio winked with a smile and Lon’zu looked away. During his years as a trainee, Robin had always been presented as the genius of piloting, with amazing drifting abilities. He had wanted to drift with her, as a lot of people did, but this will had slightly faded when he had learnt that Robin was actually a girl. He had got over it though, even if he was still mentally preparing himself to talk with a female other than Olivia and Flavia. Well, talking and being nice, that is to say. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He had to be professional and not let his apprehension get the upper hand, otherwise he’d remain a trainee for the rest of his life.

Basilio got up and stood in the doorway to look at him.

 

 - “See ya this afternoon, kiddo. It’s your time to shine.”

 

He disappeared in the corridor before Lon’zu could say a word.

 

___________

 

 

Phila gently knocked on the door of Emmeryn’s office. After she received the permission to enter, she came in and saw the commandant sitting at her desk, signing some unknown documents. She didn’t raise her head and waited for her assistant to talk.

 

 - “Tharja is already in the room, and Robin is waiting outside. Everything is ready.”

 - “Fine. Let’s go.”

 

Emmeryn stood up and, after having rearranged her papers, followed her. They walked through the base silently, greeting people with a slight nod when they met them in the corridors. It took them several minutes to arrive, and they saw Robin standing next to the door, back against the wall and obviously lost in her thoughts. She however noticed their presence immediately, and came to them with a slight smile.

 

 - “Good morning, Marshal.”

 - “Good morning, Robin. How’s your first day going?”

 - “I had troubles finding the training rooms again, but Frederick helped me. I really have to get used to training again, those two hours were kind of hard.”

 - “You will. Now let’s start the test.”

 

Robin nodded and Phila opened the door, letting the other two enter. The room wasn’t very big, the walls were the exact same colour as the rest of the base, and there was just a table with two chairs on each side, in the middle of it. Robin heard the door close behind her, and looked carefully at the girl who was facing her, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and a somewhat gloomy look on her face. She walked towards them, and Robin realised that she was really pretty. She was rather thin for a pilot, but she had curves. And she was not that much dressed; she was only wearing a black sports bra with matching shorts. Her hair was long and as dark as her clothes. Emmeryn walked past Robin and invited them to sit down at the table. They did, and the commandant leaned on the desk, putting two files on it. Phila was standing next to the door, but Robin couldn’t see her.

 

 - “Let’s get started” Emmeryn said “Robin, this is Tharja. Tharja, here’s Robin.”

 

The two women exchanged a handshake silently, before Emmeryn continued.

 

 - “We’re doing differently than usual, at Robin’s request. You two are going to talk and learn about each other; it can be about anything, as long as you can tell if you think you could drift together. Robin, what you asked for is in that corner.”

 

Robin looked at the green box that was in the corner of the room, not far from Phila. She turned to Emmeryn.

 

 - “Thank you, Marshal.”

 

The woman stood up, her blond curls falling neatly around her neck, and put her arms behind her back.

 

 - “You have no time limit, just go out when you’re done. Phila will be waiting for you outside.”

 

They nodded and Emmeryn went out, followed by her assistant. Robin took a deep breath and looked at Tharja, who had not said a word.

 

 - “So, let’s start properly: my name is Robin, I’m 26, and I have been a pilot for four years before leaving the Shepherd Program five years ago. I arrived yesterday morning.”

 

Tharja observed her silently for a few seconds. Actually, she wasn’t observing, she was _staring_ at her. Robin felt a weird feeling in her stomach. The other girl finally smirked.

 

 - “I’m Tharja. I’m 24, and I have been a pilot for two years already... I had to change co-pilots more than once though, but that’s their problem.

 - “I-I see… Any reason about that?”

 - “They couldn’t understand me.”

 - “…Okay.”

 

Robin really had a weird feeling around this girl. Everything was fine for now, but her attitude seemed strange to her. Her gaze upon her felt a bit… disturbing. She shook her head and ignored the faint unease she was experiencing. The conversation went on for around twenty minutes, during which Robin forced herself to not pay attention to the fact Tharja was acting more and more strangely. She was getting…she couldn’t even say flirty. Suggestive probably? And somehow still gloomy. She couldn’t find a word to describe how her way of speaking was strange.

What made her give up was when she understood that Tharja wasn’t just staring anymore. She was obviously mentally undressing her. Not that she had problems with the fact that a girl could look at her this way – she was fine with it – but not to the point of feeling like she’d be eaten alive. She felt a shiver run down her spine. There was no way she would let this girl in her head. She didn’t need to push the conversation further, and looked at the box sitting in the corner. Well, maybe she would use it with Lon’zu.

 

 - “Anyway” she started hesitantly “I think I have made up my mind. We can end the meeting here.”

 - “Already? But we barely started.”

 - “I’ve seen enough to take a decision.”

 - “…Fine.”

 

Tharja stood up in silence, and left the room without a word. She looked a bit offended. Robin remembered Sully mentioning she would probably try casting hexes on people. And now she was starting to understand why Stahl and her didn’t really approve their drift. Tharja seemed to be a nice girl, but she was really…special. She felt respect for the pilots who had the courage (or madness) to initiate a drift with her.

Phila approached her.

 

 - “How did it go?”

 - “She’s… She’s too weird for me. I didn’t even take the time to test her properly.”

 - “You didn’t open the box?”

 - “Not yet. Maybe this afternoon’s meeting will be better. Do I still have time to go to the mess and grab something to eat?”

 - “Of course, the next one starts in two hours. And I guess you’re not planning to do the classic compatibility test with Tharja?”

 - “The fight? I won’t. I took my decision already. I have to tell Emmeryn by the way.”

 - “Well, eat first. You’ll tell her afterwards.”

 

Robin nodded, and headed towards the mess. She ate quite fast, not really taking the time to chat with the others. And there was no sign of Chrom. He was probably training, or trying to convince Emmeryn to let them drift together, again. She went back to her room after leaving the mess and took a quick shower. When she got out, she stopped a few seconds to look at the pictures of her mother on the mirror. She absentmindedly ran her fingers on one of them.

 

 - “It feels so strange without you, you know…” she whispered.

 

Her hand fell from the picture and she turned away, letting the sensation of her ribcage imploding fade as she grabbed clean clothes. As soon as she got ready, she left her room and went to Emmeryn’s office. After a few knocks on the door and no answer coming from inside, she tried to open the door and understood that the commandant wasn’t there. She wandered around in attempt to find her, and ended up in front of the laboratory. The double door, partly made of glass, was open, and Robin decided to take a peek inside. She saw Lissa and Maribelle standing, backs turned to her, folders in hand, probably comparing some reports or something similar. They were totally absorbed in their thoughts when Emmeryn came in from the adjacent room and walked towards them. They chatted for a few seconds, and Maribelle handed her one of the folders. When the commandant got out of the laboratory, leaving the two girls behind, Robin followed her.

 

 - “Marshal.”

 Emmeryn continued walking and Robin followed her, staying a step behind “I see you’re done, what’s your opinion on Tharja?”

 - “Listen, I understand why Stahl and Sully didn’t really agree about her being my copilot. I know you want someone who can drift with me, whatever their attitude in the Shatterdome might me, but I don’t feel comfortable around her. We don’t need to do the fighting test.”

 - “She’s a good pilot.”

Robin looked at her desperately “Emmeryn, I beg you, don’t let Tharja drift with me.”

 - “And why would I?”

The pilot stepped in front of her, making her stop “Because I swear she’s gonna mindfuck me and this is not even a metaphor!”

 - “…Fine.” Emmeryn conceded.

Robin sighed in relief and took a step back “Thank you.”

 - “Now, go get prepared for the second meeting before I change my mind.”

 

Robin nodded and left, and Emmeryn sighed. Tharja was a good element, but she was socially awkward and hard to get along with. The marshal had had many problems with her before, and all her copilots had left the Shepherd Program afterwards or asked for a transfer to another base – before they closed – leaving her without the possibility to go fight. There was only one exception; and she was rather upset that that person wasn’t a pilot.

 

_____________

 

 

Stahl put both his feet on his desk and crossed his arms behind his head with a long sigh. Sully didn’t even bother raising her head and kept on working on her hologram of one of the Shepherds.

 

 - “Something's wrong?”

 - “I wonder how it went between Tharja and Robin…”

She snorted “I’m pretty sure it was a complete disaster. Tharja probably tried to seduce her and Robin is prude as hell.”

 - “Wait, what? Seduce her?”

 - “Stahl, Tharja is mostly gloomy and weird, but she also has a taste for Robin. It’s not just being a pilot-idol, she has drooled over her for ages.”

 

Stahl looked at her with a surprised expression, but didn’t answer.

When the door blasted open, he sat correctly in a single move while Sully simply turned her head. As expected, it was Emmeryn, who was coming near them with quick and strong steps.

 

 - “Everything fine, Marshal?” Sully risked.

 - “Robin doesn’t want to drift with Tharja.”

 - “And it displeases you.”

Emmeryn sighed “The only choices we had were her and Lon’zu, and I don’t know what I can do if it doesn’t work. I can’t force Robin to drift against her will, whatever ability she might have.”

Stahl intervened “I’m pretty sure it can turn well with Lon’zu. The guy is serious, and moreover the best of the trainees we have here. Basilio spent his morning bragging about his son becoming a pilot today.”

Sully laughed “The perfect way to put pressure on him.”

 - “Or on Robin.” Emmeryn completed. “Anyway, how are the preparations going?”

 

Stahl typed on his touch keyboard to make a hologram appear. He pointed at the arm, which was coloured in red, while the rest was in a light blue.

 

 - “For the Fell Dragon, there’s still the left arm to work on. It will be ready in a few days, but the drifting system is already operational. So if you want to test how the drift goes between Robin and whoever she chooses, you can.”

 - “Have you shown her the Shepherd already?” Sully asked.

Emmeryn shook her head “Not yet. I don’t want her to see it before she has a partner; it’ll force her to not associate the Fell Dragon with the memory of her mother, and she will have to concentrate on what’s happening now, not five years ago.”

Sully nodded in approbation and went back to her own hologram “We also have to tell you that the Minerva will be there in a few days.”

Emmeryn raised an eyebrow “I thought they would be here tomorrow?”

 - “They wanted to make sure there aren’t any risks around Rosanne, so they decided to make a detour before coming back here. They asked me to give you their apologies for the delay and for not having asked for your permission first.”

 

Emmeryn sighed again. They were unstoppable when it was coming to Rosanne, but they were professionals… Waiting for them a few days more wouldn’t be that dangerous. She still had the Pegasus Knight and East Khan ready in case of a kaiju attack. Still, she would have a talk with them once they would return.

 

________

 

Phila was standing next to the door when Lon’zu arrived. He remained at a safe distance from her, but close enough to not make it awkward. The assistant didn’t move, knowing his difficulties to interact with women, and made a slight nod to salute him. He did the same.

 

 - “Robin is already inside. You can go in.”

 - “Where’s Marshal Emmeryn?”

 - “She might be here in a few minutes.”

 

She gestured towards the door, inviting him to get in. Lon’zu took a deep breath and opened it. He saw a young woman sitting at the table in front of him, looking through a file – probably his – her chin put on her hand. He was about to speak when Emmeryn came in.

 - “I see both of you are here, let’s start then.”

 

The young woman, with long auburn her neatly tied into a ponytail, lifted her head and smiled. The commandant invited Lon’zu to sit, which he did silently, and went through the same explanations as she did before. She then left the room, leaving them alone. Robin was still smiling, and after a second or two, she introduced herself. He did the same, giving only the answers she needed; he didn’t give any extra information unless she asked for it. As expected, he felt tense in her presence, but apparently she knew about his apprehension, because she was leaning back a little in her chair and obviously trying to not put her hands on the table.

 

 - “Do you have any kind of trauma which might make you go out of the line?”

 - “My past isn’t important.”

A slight smile appeared on Robin’s lips “You know that I might get into your head to find the answer by myself, right?”

 - “Do it as you please.”

 - “You’re not the playful type, huh? I heard that you are extremely serious, and that they’ve never seen you laugh a single time.”

 - “I’m a soldier. I am not here to have fun. Emmeryn gives orders, I kill kaijus, that’s all.”

 - “Well, you have excellent results on the simulator, I am honestly surprised that you aren’t in a Shepherd already. Drifting is a problem for you?”

 - “It seems that my line is different than the average.”

 - “Well, my line can adapt to anyone’s.”

 

Robin’s smile widened as she got up. Lon’zu looked at her with a perplexed expression. Did she already take her decision? He was about to get up when he saw her taking a green box in one of the corners of the room, which he hadn’t noticed when he had gotten in. She came back with the box and put it on the table while sitting down.

 

 - “Now that I feel comfortable around you – and I hope you do too – here’s the moment I’m going to _test_ you.”

Lon’zu raised an eyebrow “What for?”

 - “Just checking your reactivity and how good you can be with tactics.”

 

She opened the box and took out a board and pawns. Chess. She wanted to play chess with him. He frowned and looked at her.

 

 - “We’re going to play chess?”

 - “Yup! I hope you don’t mind?”

 - “I’ve never played chess in my life.”

 - “Do you know the rules at least?”

 - “I do.”

 - “Well, that’s all you’ll need.”

 

Robin proceeded to separate the pawns and prepare the game, while he was watching her. She seemed rather pleased by the idea, which was probably hers. When he saw the small smirk on her lips, he didn’t even doubt the fact that chess was her forte. When the game was ready, she asked him to pick a color; Lon’zu chose the whites and they started to play. She explained that her aim wasn’t to see who would win or loose, but to analyse his strategy and see how he would react depending on the situation. The game went on for a long moment, and he was no match for her. He had barely taken two of her pawns – that she had probably left on purpose – while she took half of his. At some point, she looked at him right in the eyes, and he saw a malicious spark in her gaze.

 

 - “Checkmate.” As she pushed his king off the board with her bishop.

 

He frowned, trying to understand her move. She took the time to explain what she had done during that last move and how he could have prevented it. She then congratulated him and thanked him for having accepted to play the game, before putting everything back in the box. He wanted to help her, but she politely refused. One she was done, she stood up and held her hand out.

  

 - “It was a very interesting meeting. I’m looking forward to our fight.”

He shook her hand “…May I ask you something?”

 - “Yes?”

 - “Why a meeting before the fight?”

She crossed her arms pensively “Well, I rarely drifted with people other than my mother. I never had problems doing so, but now that…that things have changed, I realise I’m becoming selective with my possible co-pilots. And I’m glad I did; I wouldn’t have noticed at first that Tharja was acting weird with me. Those are the kind of things you can’t see with a fight.” She winked “And I like strategy games. It’s two birds with one stone.”

 

Lon’zu noticed the slight tremble in her voice when she talked about her mother, but didn’t do anything so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable. He nodded.

 

 - “Well then, if you may, I might get ready for our fight.”

 - “I’m looking forward to it.”

 

He left the room first, and she came out a few seconds later. Phila was waiting near the door, as he had done for the first meeting.

 

 - “How did this one go?”

 - “Way better. He’s a nice and serious guy. And he seems really calm.”

 - “And obedient.”

 - “I’m pretty sure he’d never object Emmeryn’s decisions actually. Anyways, I’ll fight with him.”

 

Phila nodded and Robin started to walk away, before turning back.

 

 - “Oh, and he’s rather hot.” She whispered, and went away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me get it straight: I am not planning to make some Robin/Lon'qu stuff. I just put my first impressions of him when I first played the game.  
> Also, I hope you guys noticed the Critical Hits and canon lines I used/rearranged?


	5. Better Than New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom was lying on his bed, arms crossed under his head, and was looking at the ceiling absentmindedly. The fight was playing on loop in his head. It was rather obvious that it would be the topic of discussion for the upcoming days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait guys!!
> 
> Here's the fight! I hope you will like it :)

Gregor whistled as he was pouring coffee in three white cups and added sugar in them. Nowi showed up by his side, a pile of plates in her hands, and put them in the large stainless steel sink of the kitchen. He lifted his head to smile at her, and ruffled her thick blond hair, making the young girl laugh.

 

\- “You can go, sweetie, I’m taking care of this.”

\- “Are you sure, Gregor?”

The tall man’s voice resonated in the room when he laughed “Enjoy your youth and go have fun with the young people here! You’ll have plenty of time to spend in the kitchen with ol’ Gregor!”

 

Nowi smiled brightly and dashed outside after having thanked him, while he watched her go with a paternal smile. He went out a few seconds after, holding his cups of coffee, which he handed to Flavia and Basilio when he sat in front of them at one of the empty tables of the mess.

 

“And two coffees for my special guests!”

 

Flavia smiled while Basilio started to laugh “You’re really enjoying this job!”

\- “How could I not? It’s the less dangerous and obviously the funniest one! And the girls are a ray of sunshine, I’m lucky to have them.”

\- “Olivia’s my daughter, of course she’s a ray of sunshine!”

Flavia poked her partner on the ribs with a small grin “I’m not sure it’s thanks to you, actually.”

 

Basilio grumbled while Gregor laughed. They kept on talking for a few minutes, until the topic of Lon’zu’s future pilot affectation came into discussion. The Feroxi pilot radiated with pride, and even Flavia couldn’t hide her contentment. Gregor was very pleased by the news, which he had overheard during breakfast and lunch, and had waited for Basilio to come and tell him personally – and that would obviously happen during the day – as he couldn’t help himself but brag about it.

 

\- “Will you come and see the fight with us?” Flavia asked nonchalantly.

\- “Of course I will! I’ve gotta see this with my own eyes! Basilio will exaggerate everything!” answered Gregor with a loud laugh. “I’ll have time before heading back here for dinner! Is your boy still preparing himself for the so-waited fight?”

\- “I didn’t tell you? Robin wanted to have a talk with him first. I think they’re still there actually, the fight is in an hour or so.”

\- “Really? That girl sure is quite clever.”

Flavia finished drinking her coffee “She is. She has a very strong sense of tactics. Her mother and she were impressive on the battlefield, we had the chance to see it by ourselves.”

\- “She seems rather young to be this talented.”

\- “She was seventeen when she got her affectation. Everyone thought Emmeryn was crazy to let her do so, but she rapidly proved to be a genius. And we soon discovered that drifting ability of hers, so you can understand that she has quite a reputation in the pilot world.”

Gregor whistled in admiration “Who could have guessed that such a tiny girl could be so strong?”

Flavia snorted “She’s not tiny, you’re the tall one.”

Gregor sighed “Still, she’s young to have this much responsibilities.”

\- “As everyone here. Nobody deserves that, you know. Emmeryn barely reached her thirties, don’t you think she’d rather be doing something else? We don’t have the choice, all the kids here decided to put their life on the line for the sake of humanity.”

 

Basilio put his cup down loudly, making the other two look at him. He smiled gently at them.

\- “Why don’t we talk about something less serious?”

_______

 

Robin couldn’t prevent herself from grimacing.

There were too much people in the room.

Phila sighed in desperation. She had expected rumours to make people curious, but she had not imagined that _that many_ people would come to see the fight. She was rather glad that the room was large, but it was quite noisy with everyone waiting impatiently for the fight. She looked at Robin.

 

\- “Are you okay?”

\- “Hahaha… of course I am!”

 

Given the horrified look in her eyes and how her body was tensed, it was rather obvious that it was absolutely not the case. And indeed, Robin was not prepared for that. Actually, she had imagined fighting alone, with only Emmeryn and Phila watching; and certainly Chrom. She scanned the crowd, searching for navy blue hair. She couldn’t explain why, but she felt disappointed to not see him. Maybe he was late. Maybe he wouldn’t come, out of frustration. She shook her head. She had to concentrate on Lon’zu, not him. She closed her eyes and slightly bent her head downwards, ignoring everything that was around her. To calm her body and her fast heartbeat down, she had to appease her soul first. She took three deep breaths, ignoring everything around her, and then raised her head, looking at Lon’zu straight in the eyes.

He was facing her, on the other side of the room, nearby the crowd. He looked so concentrated, that it was hardly believable that he could manage to do it with so many people around him. It was as if he was all alone. She envied his ability to make abstraction of all the chattering a few meters behind him.

 

When Emmeryn’s heels resonated in the room, everyone fell silent. And when she noticed that half of the Shatterdome had reunited in the testing room, she frowned. She was about to raise her voice and order everyone to go back to their jobs, but Robin’s raised hand stopped her.

 

\- “It’s okay, Marshal. I can handle it.”

\- “…Fine.” She then spoke loudly “I will ask everyone to be silent and stay still, to not disturb them. If anyone disobeys, I make everyone go out, am I clear?”

 

All the while, Robin had approached the training mat and stepped on it after having taken off her shoes. Lon’zu was still facing her, and looked extremely serious, though still deeply concentrated. Phila gave her a training stick, which was around 1m50 long. She then went to the other side of the room and gave a similar one to Lon’zu.

 

“I officially declare the beginning of the fight.” Continued Emmeryn “The first one to have four points wins.”

 

Both Robin and Lon’zu nodded. She frowned slightly, a small grin on her lips, and she slowly started to walk towards her opponent. The dark-haired trainee was waiting, keeping his stick to his side, like he was holding some sort of katana.

The young woman’s eyes wandered rapidly on the crowd, and she finally noticed Chrom’s blue strands of hair. He was on the side, close to the training mat, arms crossed and apparently determined to analyse the fight. Her smirk grew larger. Would he be able to follow her moves? Turning back to Lon’zu, she flexed her legs, holding her stick in one hand.

 

“Here’s how it’s done!”

 

And she swooped on her opponent in an instant.

_____

 

Chrom had not expected her to be so fast. It was only thanks to his overtrained reactivity that he managed to see Robin literally jump on Lon’zu and try to hit his shoulder. He simply stepped aside though, and dodged her blow in a swift move.

When she turned to face the trainee again, Chrom could clearly see in her eyes that she was surprised. _Pleasantly_ surprised. She then held her stick in front of her with her two hands, while Lon’zu was waiting for her, legs flexed and still holding his like a sword in its sheath.

 

When he attacked her, it was kind of obvious that Robin was not used to her opponent’s fighting style. Neither did Chrom in fact. He had never seen such a way of fighting; strong but fluid, with this ability to attack with such strength and the second after dodge a blow like the wind.

Frederick, who was just next to Chrom and looking at the fight in detail, noticed Chrom’s perplexed expression.

 

\- “Expecting to see the Feroxi fighting style?”

\- “Sort of, yes.”

\- “It’s not. The one he’s using is actually the Chon’sin style.”

\- “How come?”

Frederick looked at him, an eyebrow raised “Well, he’s not Basilio’s biological son, obviously. You can see quite clearly that he has the features of the people of Chon’sin, I guess it’s normal he learnt this way of fighting.”

 

Chrom didn’t answer and looked at the fight again. Well, no, he had not noticed, and he had not really taken the time to ask Olivia about him. He shook his head, chasing the waitress’ image from his mind. Looking closely at the fighters, he noticed a slight change. Not from Lon’zu, but from Robin. After a last blow, both opponents stepped away from each other for a few seconds to breathe. The trainee was having a hard time taking his breath, sweat slowly running down his eyebrow arch and cheek. On the other hand Robin seemed to be high on adrenaline. She radiated with confidence, still showing signs of tiredness. Her breath was short and harsh.

And she was standing, legs flexed, holding her stick to her side like a katana.

 

Chrom’s breath stopped. Did she just…?

 

\- “I forgot to tell you about something, actually. I didn’t mention that along with people’s minds, I can also adapt to their bodies.”

\- “How did you…?” Lon’zu started.

\- “A little bit of observation makes all the difference.”

 

Chrom blinked several times, trying to process everything. Robin had just managed to _copy_ an almost unknown – to him at least – fighting style by just observing her opponent while fighting herself. A small admiring whistle escaped his lips.

Lon’zu raised his stick and held it near his face, keeping it parallel to the ground.

 

“I’ll make this quick” he mumbled, mostly to himself.

 

Both started to run at the same time, and after some quick and strong blows, the fight ended.

Robin’s stick was a few centimeters away from Lon’zu’s head, while he was exactly mirroring her position.

 

“Four points ex-aequo” Phila announced.

 

A long silence followed, during which the fighters looked at each other in the eyes, still deeply concentrated. No one in the crowd dared to move or say anything, until a low voice arose from the assembly.

 

“Yeah, that’s my son!!”

 

Robin had just enough time to notice the horrified look on Lon’zu’s face before everyone in the room started clapping and cheering them loudly. The trainee regained his composure before anyone else could notice, and slowly lowered his weapon. Robin did the same, and held her hand out to shake his.

 

“Well done, _partner_.”

 

The cheering went so loud that it almost hurt their ears, and Lon’zu hesitantly shook her hand. He stepped back, and the corners of his lips slightly moved to show a sincere but discreet smile. She did the same, before turning away and reaching the border of the training mat. Her gaze met Chrom’s, and when he smiled timidly at her and made a little move of the hand to salute her, she answered with a warm smile.

He felt his heart miss a beat.

_______

 

\- “That was _so awesome_ Maribelle! You really should have seen that!”

\- “I love you lots, darling, but not to the point to assist to a compatibility test. I have other things to do than watching people fight to determine if they are soulmates.”

\- “Come oooon, it’s not about finding a soulmate, you’re exaggerating!”

\- “Could we please concentrate on our work?”

 

Lissa sighed and jumped from the stool she was sitting on to join her assistant, who was disinfecting the table for a new experimentation. The young scientist couldn’t prevent herself from smiling; this compatibility test had been one of the most epic ones she had the chance to assist to. She didn’t understand anything about fights, but it didn’t require a lot of knowledge to understand that Robin totally adapted her fighting style to Lon’zu’s.

 

\- “It’s like, she was putting her drifting ability onto shape…” she mumbled.

\- “You said something?” Maribelle asked without looking at her.

Lissa stopped moving and slowly raised her head “She adapted to him. She looked at how he fought and copied his technique to fight him better. It was like, a foretaste of what she will do when she’ll be in his head.”

\- “Okay, I admit this is rather impressive. I bet your brother was on the front row.”

The young scientist laughed “I should have taken a picture of him, he looked so flat out! I think he just fell in love with her!”

 

Her gaze fell upon the yellow containers and their kaiju bits. She looked at them silently for a few seconds, until Maribelle asked her what was going on.

 

\- “…Do you remember the first time I dissected a kaiju liver?”

Maribelle looked at her with a perplexed expression “Yes? The one from the kaiju that attacked Rosanne three years ago?”

Lissa walked slowly towards the nearest container and put her hand on it, looking absentmindedly at its content “I had to give up my dissection yesterday, after you left. It was a kaiju liver as well.” She turned back to face her assistant “The first time, it was easy, and I had no problems until the very end. But yesterday, I could barely touch it for two hours before it got too much damaged.”

Maribelle was starting to get her point “You mean that…”

“…As Robin does, kaijus adapt to us!”

 

Both girls looked at each other, trying to process their discovery. Ricken came in the room at that very moment, and he barely had the time to see the girls that Lissa had already jumped on him and was shaking him by the shoulders.

 

\- “Ricken! They adapt!!”

\- “W-what?!?”

Getting her face close to his, she repeated “The kaijus!! They adapt!! They understand how we work and they adapt!”

\- “Lissa, wait! Don’t start making conclusions now!” Maribelle intervened.

The blond girl released her grip on Ricken’s shoulders and turned to her “I am sure about that!! Wait until I get the undeniable proof of it!!”

 

And without letting them intervene, she dashed out of the laboratory.

_________

 

Chrom was lying on his bed, arms crossed under his head, and was looking at the ceiling absentmindedly. The fight was playing on loop in his head. It was rather obvious that it would be the topic of discussion for the upcoming days.

He was not aware that Robin could learn this fast just from observing. The only person who didn’t look surprised by her performance was Emmeryn; which could be considered as normal as they had worked together years before.

Robin seemed to be a totally different person when she was fighting. He remembered her constant smirk during the test, as if she had been enjoying every part of it. And she looked so confident…

 

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Chrom stood up with a sigh, slightly loosing balance at first because he was too abrupt in doing so, and walked towards the metallic door. He had barely opened it that someone hit him in the face.

 

“Oh my Naga!! I-I’m sorry Chrom! I’m so clumsy! Pardon me!! You weren’t opening the door so… ”

Chrom waved his hand, rubbing his cheek with the other “It’s okay Sumia, don’t worry.”

\- “But I punched you in the face!”

\- “I said I am okay. What did you want?”

\- “Oh, uh… Dinner has started and Cordelia and I noticed that you had not showed up, so I wanted to make sure you’re fine.”

 

Chrom looked at the clock hanging on his wall. It was 8:40. After the fight, he had spent an hour or two sparring with Frederick, before heading back to his room and training by himself. After a small nap and a shower, he had ended up in his bed thinking about Robin’s compatibility test. He had totally forgotten about dinner. He still had the time to grab something to eat before the mess closed. He thanked Sumia, who proposed to accompany him – which he accepted – and they headed towards the mess. From the corner of the eye, he noticed that the only table that was still full was Basilio and Flavia’s. Next to the Feroxi pilots were Robin, along with Lon’zu, a few other people, and Olivia who was sitting on the edge of the table to chat with them, holding a tray in her hands. Chrom hesitated for a second to join them, but the mess closed at 9pm and he didn’t want to endure Lon’zu’s death glare, now that Robin was officially his copilot. He contained a sigh; the guy didn’t hold him dear to his heart, and he couldn’t even blame him for it.

He asked Gregor something that he could take to his room, pretending he wasn’t feeling well. Sumia was about to protest when he winked at her, making her cheeks turn red. He left the mess with a sandwich in his hand, which was enough for him. He didn’t feel hungry anyways.

He smiled, looking at Sumia.

 

“Mind if I come have tea with you?”

_____

 

Robin was about to enter her room, exhausted from her dinner with Basilio’s crew; the pilot and his partner had invited her to share dinner with them, and she had accepted. She had spent half the dinner listening to the pilot’s anecdotes about kaijus and fighting, or about Lon’zu, or Olivia. She discovered that he had adopted both of them when they were young, and had raised them both with the help of Flavia. He was the only one to consider himself as their parent, as Flavia preferred to be considered as their aunt.

She felt a hand on her shoulder as she unlocked the door. Turning around to see who it was, she recognised Stahl’s features.

 

\- “Hey there!”

\- “Oh, Stahl. I haven’t seen you today, how are you?”

\- “Great! I wish I could have seen your fight, but I had a lot of work, so...”

\- “You’ll hear about it soon. I swear half of the Shatterdome was in the room!”

Stahl laughed, patting her shoulder “You bet! It’s like going to see the concert of your favourite artist!”

She shook her head, smiling gently, before looking at him again “So? What brings you here?”

\- “I wanted to show you something, I hope you don’t mind? I know you’re tired…”

Robin locked her door again “No no, I’m fine. Go ahead.”

 

He gestured her to follow him, and she walked next to him as they chatted. She told him about her day while he listened carefully, but didn’t hesitate to make funny comments, which made her laugh. They reached the huge Shepherd hangar that she had visited the day before. It looked really different at night; technicians were still working on the machines, and the lights of the welding equipments were giving a sort of warm atmosphere to the place. She snorted at the idea. Yeah, a huge monster-killing machine, warm and cosy. She found it stupid, but somehow she couldn’t prevent herself from associating the image with an evening in front of the fire.

Stahl guided her towards a part that she had not visited yet, and they climbed metallic stairs.

 

\- “Stahl, where are we going?”

\- “You’re gonna see very soon!”

 

Robin ranted, feeling her body being sore from her hard work of the day. Stahl waited for her at the top of the stairs, and told her to close her eyes. She did, and she felt him taking her by the shoulders to guide her. They walked a few meters, and he released her, telling her to open her eyes. It only took her a second to realise what was in front of her and raised one of her hands to her mouth, her eyes getting teary.

 

\- “Oh my Naga, Stahl, this is…!”

\- “The Fell Dragon. Looking brand new.”

 

Robin approached the barrier and rested against it, looking at her former Shepherd. It had been partly destroyed during her last fight with her mother, and it was now looking great and new. The black and purple armour of the robot was intact, and she could look straight into its heart, as they were facing the upper part of the machine and a part had been removed to make modifications inside. Robin turned her head to look at Stahl.

 

\- “She’s perfect!”

\- “She’s even better than that. We made some modifications, and she is now totally unique.”

\- “She has always been.”

Stahl smiled and pulled Robin into a hug “I’m glad you’re back. It’s good to see you again.”

She didn’t answer, but hugged him back, ignoring the tear that was rolling down her cheek.


	6. Just A Memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin smiled at him and put her helmet on, before stepping on the right part of the command post. When she felt the hooks locking her shoes to the equipment, she took a deep breath. It was an old feeling she thought she had forgotten that was coming back to her. She felt her heart beat faster, and turned her head to Lon’zu. He didn’t look really reassured, but put his helmet on and stepped in anyways. Robin closed her eyes and let the machines move around her to complete the installation. After a few seconds, the only sound she could hear was her own breath. Everything was ready, now they just had to initialize the drift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive!!!  
> I'm sorry for not having uploaded anything since August, I had a lot of work in college and I didn't have a single second to think about the new chapter. I spent a whole week writting this, it's almost three times longer than a regular chapter (I had to make up for the absence) but I thought that I couldn't cut it... So yeah, enjoy an 19-pages-long-on-Word chapter!

It was barely half past five when Emmeryn knocked on the door, a door smaller than any other one in the Shatterdome, and rather hidden despite being almost in its center. She waited a few seconds before coming in, and the change in luminosity in the room made her instantly feel at ease. The room was incredibly small, with a soft lighting, and a few chairs facing a statue. There was a man kneeling in front of it, deeply absorbed in his prayer. Emmeryn closed the door and waited for him to finish. After a minute or two, the man stood up and turned towards her with a gentle smile.

 “- Early as always, Marshal.”

“- Good morning, Libra.”

 The man stepped aside and showed the statue with a move of the hand, inviting the commandant to get closer. Emmeryn walked silently, and kneeled where he had been just a few minutes before, joining her hands while bowing her head. He put a heavy cape on her shoulders, a pale green one, and put his hand on her head.

 “- In the name of Naga, I bless you. May you protect the world and its people, and bring peace to this earth.”

“- I hope so…” she whispered with a sad smile.

 Libra left the room a few seconds after, letting her pray in silence. Her only moments of peace were those mornings when she went to pray in that small room transformed in a makeshift chapel. She had never seen anyone but Libra there. Well, she was coming before everyone had woken up, so that would explain a lot. And, to be honest, she didn’t want to meet anyone there. She was the chief of this base, she couldn’t let anyone see her in her “weak” moment, when she could only rely on Naga to make her strong.

After her prayer, she looked at the statue for a few minutes. There was a part of her that always felt guilty for rejecting her own principles – the path of peace that had guided her life, until she found herself at the top of an army that was fighting for humanity’s survival. In a way, it had brought some sort of peace: ever since the old rivalries between countries had been put aside so everyone could survive, she had not seen tensions between Ylisseans and Plegians for example. That was a big achievement. But it was small compared to what she was going through on a daily basis. She had to take decisions, and above all impose her decisions whatever the others had to say, otherwise the lack of authority would have had her subordinates do whatever they wanted. She had to toughen up, bottle up her uneasiness, and act the way people expected her to. So she did, and neither Chrom nor Lissa had commented on it. Because they knew that deep inside she had remained the same. It was part of her job.

She put her hand on the base of the statue and swore silently, like she always did, to give this war an end and come back to the path of peace and gentleness. Then she got up and took the cape off, folded it carefully and knocked on the door of the adjacent room. When Libra opened it, she smiled at him and gave him the cloth.

 “- I’m done, I’m about to get to work.”

“- Fine. You are welcome here anytime, Emmeryn. Be sure to get some rest, you look really tired. It’s hard to do your job properly if you don’t get enough rest.”

“- I wish I could, but I’m afraid time is not what I have the most right now.”

“- I know you how heavy the burden on your shoulders is”, Libra said while taking her hands in his in a comforting way, “but don’t lose yourself in the process.”

 Emmeryn smiled sadly at him, and he smiled back reassuringly. Then he accompanied her to the entrance of the “chapel” and watched her go. Once she had disappeared from his field of vision, he went back inside and prayed for her, aware of how hard it was for this young woman to live in this collapsing world.

 __________

 Robin was almost finished dressing up when she heard a knock on the metallic door. Rubbing her eyes, she opened it, and didn’t know if she was surprised or not to see Chrom standing in front of her.

 “- Oh…Good morning Chrom. You need something?”

“- H-hi! Well…” he fidgeted with his fingers, “do you mind if I show you something before breakfast?”

“- Yeah, sure. Just give me a minute.”

 She went back inside, leaving the door open. Chrom peeked into the room while she was quickly brushing her hair, and he couldn’t help but watch her do so after a few seconds. Her hair was really long and looked really soft and fluffy. He looked away with a light blush on his cheeks, settling his gaze on the books on the table. Frowning, he stepped in and took one of them to flip through its pages.

 “- You like strategy books?”

“- Ah, those were my mom’s”, Robin said from the bathroom. “She liked them a lot and she encouraged me to read logical and science books. Not that I don’t read novels and philosophy too, but I’ve had the habit of reading those for years.”

“- I see…” Chrom mumbled while flipping through another book, then raised his voice. “By the way, bring something warm, we’re going outside.”

“- Ah, really?” Robin asked, finishing to tie her hair while getting out of the bathroom. “Where are we going?”

“- It’s a secret”, Chrom answered with a wink.

 Robin snorted. That guy tried to act smooth but his clumsiness gave him such a dorky vibe that it was hard not to laugh. She grabbed her jacket and put it on, checked if her phone was in her pocket, and went outside followed by the blue-haired dork. He waited for her to lock the door, trying to control his smile. Then, she followed him, silently at first, but in the end they couldn’t help but end up chatting. The more they were walking, the more they went into unknown parts of the base; they didn’t cross paths with anyone, and Robin frowned slightly. Where were they going? They had used the elevator, but going to the last floor had seemed curious to her, and now they were wandering in a clearly rarely used part of the Shatterdome it was getting really weird. Especially when they reached a small door with a “no entry” written on it.

 “- Chrom, what’s that?”

“- You’ll see very soon.”

 He opened the door, behind which was a small ladder. It looked like an emergency exit or something similar. Chrom got in and asked her to close the door behind her. She did, and even if they ended up in the complete darkness she could still feel his presence next to her, as there wasn’t a lot of space between the ladder and the door. She heard him ask with a gentle voice:

 “- Ready?”

“- Uuuuuuuuh, yeah?”

 Okay. So now, they were both locked inside a small and dark room. Things couldn’t get any weirder. She heard him climbing the ladder until he was around two meters above the ground; then something metallic grated and light came in, which forced Robin to cover her eyes with her hand for a second. Chrom didn’t climb any further, but took one of his hands away from the rung he was holding to turn to her. With the bright light above him, he had a sort of halo around his head, and when he held his hand out to her with a warm smile she felt her heart skip a beat.

 “- We’re there.”

“- Oh…Okay. I’m not sure holding your hand will be useful though”, Robin said while pointing at his hand.

“- Indeed!!” Chrom answered with a laugh. “Follow me then!”

 Upon saying this, he finished climbing and disappeared into the light. Robin stood there for a second, before starting to climb as well. When her head reached the light, she felt a great wind blow through her hair with strength. She needed a second or two to get used to the light, and when she did, she couldn’t help but gasp before finishing to climb up with Chrom’s help. They were on the roof of the Shatterdome. The whole bay was spreading in front of their eyes. The sky was grey, and the sun wasn’t even visible because the clouds were too thick; that was the reason why the light was so blinding, to the point it hurt her eyes. The wind was blowing loudly in their ears, so loudly that Robin had to scream to make sure Chrom heard her.

 “- Oh my Naga, it’s awesome Chrom!!!!!!”

“- Yeah, I know!!!” He shouted back. “I love coming here sometimes!!! I’m kinda frustrated though, because the sky is really dull today! I’ll show you when it’s sunny, it’s awesome too!!”

 When he saw a large smile spreading on her lips, Chrom knew he had done things right. He had wanted to make up for his clumsiness, and apparently it worked. Robin closed her eyes and spread her arms, letting the wind blow in her jacket. Her smile turned into a laugh, and Chrom couldn’t keep his eyes off her. She looked genuinely happy, and in a new burst of laughter she lifted her arms higher and tilted her head backwards, as if invoking some sort of elemental god. She laughed again and again, and he ended up laughing as well. After long minutes their laugh faded, and they took deep breaths; Robin was still smiling, and when she looked at Chrom her eyes were shining. At this very moment he knew that he was doomed.

 “- Thank you, Chrom!!”

“-…You’re welcome!!!”

 “- We should go back!!”

 He nodded, and invited her with a move of the hand to climb down the ladder. He helped her, and waited until she touched the ground to climb down as well, making sure he closed the roof door correctly. Robin used her phone to make some light to find the exit. She was still smiling, even giggling from time to time. Chrom opened the metallic door, letting them out, then closed it again while she waited for him. They went back downstairs, and when she was about to turn to go towards the mess he stopped walking. She turned towards him:

 “- You’re not going to get breakfast?”

“- I’d like to go to the labs first. But you can go ahead!”

“- Actually I am curious, Phila mentioned the labs but I haven’t seen them yet. Do you mind if I come with you?”

“- S-sure! No problem!” Chrom said, waving his hands awkwardly. “It’s not far.”

 They walked side by side to the laboratory. The door was open, and Chrom knocked while getting in.

 “- Lissa?”

“- I’m here!” Answered the blond girl while coming towards them, putting on her white coat. “I was about to get started, what can I do for- Oh! Hello Robin! How are you?”

“- I’m fine, I had troubles getting used to the place, but now it’s okay.”

“- You’ve already met?” Chrom intervened, raising an eyebrow.

“- Yeah, I was in the elevator with them when she came with Emm the other day.” She smiled at Robin “So? I hope my brother hasn’t bothered you too much? Chrom can be quite a pain sometimes”

“- Lissa!”

“- Wait… Chrom is your brother ?”

“- I told you he was a fan of yours and all. You don’t remember?”

“- I do, but I expected… Like, I expected a blond guy or something? Everyone in this base seems to be “a fan” so I didn’t think it would be Chrom!”

“- I look a lot like our father”, Chrom said with a small laugh, “but Lissa and Emmeryn tend to take after our mother.”

 Lissa and her brother giggled, which confused Robin. She had not seen their resemblance; but now she realised it was quite obvious. That also explained why Chrom acted familiarly with Emmeryn, and she felt ashamed of not having found out about it earlier. At least everything made sense now. Chrom kept on chatting with Lissa:

 “- Did you have breakfast already?”

“- I did, I have a huge experiment to work on, so I can’t take breaks until I’m finished. That’s why I ate as soon as the mess opened.”

 Robin had started to wander around the laboratory, looking at the yellow containers with curiosity. She put her hand on one of them, trying to identify the organ floating inside. She stayed a few seconds like that, ending up looking absentmindedly at it. Lissa came by her side:

 “- Curious about kaijus?”

“- I like to understand what I’m fighting against”, Robin answered while facing her. “Have you found interesting things about them?”

“- Well…” Lissa said, grabbing a stool and sitting on it. “I have a theory. Maribelle thinks it’s too early to jump to conclusions, but it came to my mind when I saw your fight yesterday.”

“- Oh… Really? You’ve seen it?”

“- I have”, the scientist replied with a bright smile. “It was amazing. Wasn’t it, Chrom?”

“- Yeah, definitely”, Chrom confirmed who walked towards them. “So? What’s that theory?”

“- Ah, yeah, the theory. So, what really impressed me is that Robin adapted to Lon’zu’s fighting style, when she had known him for a few hours only. Did you know about the Chon’sin way of fighting?”

“- Not at all”, Robin replied with sincerity.

“- So that proves my point. You fought against him, and you observed his technique at the same time. Then you used it against him to fight him better. I think kaijus are doing the same.”

“- You have proof of it?” Robin asked, crossing her arms.

“- Not yet, but I have leads. For example, I observed that kaijus are harder to dissect: they get damaged almost twice as fast than a few years ago. I’m not a professional in kaiju fighting, but as pilot yourselves you surely noticed that they become harder to fight with time.”

“- Isn’t that because there are new categories?” Chrom said.

“- We classify them in categories depending on their shape and weight. I’m talking about their attitude here. I still have to work on finding proof in their DNA or something, because Emmeryn won’t be satisfied with just suppositions. Our next moves often depend on what I find, so I can’t take risks and affirm something without solid arguments. So today I’m gonna work on that piece of brain that you see over there to check the amount of electric messages between neurons by millisecond. The problem is that it’s really damaged already, so I’m not sure it’ll be representative…Then I’ll have to wait for Shepherds to bring back a new kaiju to do comparative research.”

“- So you’ll try to prove they’re getting more intelligent by comparing the amount of electric information sent by the brain?” Robin asked.

“- Yup, you got it!”

“- Have Miriel and Ricken managed to predict when the new attack will be?” Chrom continued.

“- Not yet. They’re working really hard on it. I often leave the lab before they do, and when I come back on the morning they’re already here. I think that one of these days I’m going to drag them by force to the mess and force them to eat something. Do you realise Miriel hasn’t seen her son for weeks?”

“- The poor child…” Robin commented.

“- I know”, said Lissa with a sigh. “I’m glad his father is there to take care of him. Anyway, I should get started already. Maribelle will be there soon too. You two should get breakfast before the mess closes, if you haven’t done it already.”

 Both pilots agreed, and they left after giving her warm encouragements. When they arrived to the mess, it was already half empty. They ate quickly to not be late on their respective schedules, commenting on Lissa’s discovery while eating. Once they left the mess, Chrom was about to part ways with her when she grabbed his sleeve gently, forcing him to look at her. A beautiful shade of pink was coloring her cheeks.

 “- Thank you for this morning. It was… magical.”

“- I’m glad you liked it”, Chrom answered with an embarrassed smile and a red face. “It’s my small secret, I like to go there when I don’t feel well… So when Stahl told me you weren’t feeling great yesterday after dinner I thought it would be a good idea to show this to you. And to make up for my mistakes too…”

“- Chrom, it’s not your fault. I mean, you’re just being honest, that’s a great quality.” She patted his shoulder with a warm smile “I don’t hold it against you, you know. I’ve seen worse. So stop worrying, okay?”

 Chrom nodded, not very convinced. She took a step back and smiled again.

 “- Anyway, thank you. It felt like I could take over the world.”

“- That’s the whole point of it!” Chrom replied with a small laugh.

“-…See you later, then?”

“- Y-yeah, sure!”

 She smiled at him one last time, then started to walk away as he stood there, looking at her silhouette disappearing at the end of the corridor. It took him a second to proceed everything, and when he did, he couldn’t prevent himself from smiling and started to jump around, before hugging the first person he saw – who happened to be Frederick, who was in fact looking for him.

 _____________

When Miriel entered the lab, she saw Lissa heavily concentrated on her work. Maribelle was giving her a hand, handing her various tools and moving the light around to help her see better. Ricken was sitting nearby, observing the scene. He saw her and was about to get up and join her, but she raised a hand to stop him.

 “- You can stay, I need a little time alone before we get to work.”

“- Oh, fine. I understand. Call me when you’re done then.”

 Miriel went to their working room, and Lissa smiled under her mask. _What a coincidence._ The mathematician closed the door behind her and – for once – ignoring her blackboards and piles of files, went directly to the computer to turn it on. After long minutes, a familiar smiling face appeared on the screen.

_“- Good morning honey!! It’s been ages!”_

“- I know, I apologise for not having given news earlier.”

_“- Don’t worry, I know you’re working hard. And harder than you should, given your horrible state. You look all pale, honey, you should get rest sometimes.”_

“- War gives no rest.”

 Vaike made a small pout, before smiling again. She wouldn’t admit it, but watching his expressions change so rapidly was something she loved to do. He was so lively and always let his emotions guide his attitude, which completely matched her imperturbable temper. He didn’t ask much about her work, because he knew that was her moment of peace, so he preferred talking about trivial matters such as how their son was doing in school, his absolute inability to keep the house clean and tidy, or how he lost his car keys again. Vaike looked at the clock at some point.

_“- Oh, it’s time to wake up the kiddo for school. I’ll be back in a minute!”_

 He disappeared from the screen, and Miriel rested her chin on her hand with a sigh. Taking a break like this was making her feel better than she initially thought. She swore to herself to skype them more often. Vaike came back, holding in his arms his barely awake son, who was wearing blue pyjamas with a small rockets pattern. He sat on the chair with the child on his lap.

 “- Hello sweetheart”, Miriel said with a smile that she wanted warm.

 _“- Hello Mom”_ , answered Laurent rubbing his eyes before putting his round glasses on.

“- How are you?”

_“- Good. School’s a bit boring recently but that’s because the others are a bit slow to understand. But it’s still interesting. And Dad bought me a new book about rainforests so it’s great.”_

_“- I didn’t get a single thing about that book”_ , Vaike commented, shrugging. _“By the way, don’t you think he’s a bit puny? He doesn’t finish his plates!”_

“- Vaike, a child doesn’t have the same needs as a grown up man. Of course he won’t finish his plates if you give him the same amount of food as you! Laurent looks in perfect physical condition.”

_“- That’s what I keep on telling Dad but he doesn’t listen!”_

_“- Because I want you to be a healthy young boy!”_ Vaike said, ruffling through the boy’s tousled blond hair.

“-…It’s good to see you both”, Miriel said gently.

_“- Ooooh did you hear that Laurent? Mom misses us!”_

“- Of course I do, I am a human being too.”

_“- That’s why I married you!”_

“- Sure…” Miriel replied, instinctively fidgeting with her wedding ring.

_“- By the way Mom, how’s work recently?”_

 Miriel smiled at her son’s curious but calm expression. He was deeply interested in her work, but not in the fact that she was doing it for helping fighting kaijus, just in the formulas themselves. For Laurent, kaijus were just giant monsters not really worth of interest.

 “- I’m trying to calculate when the next kaiju will appear. It’s really hard, I have troubles finding an answer.” She turned her screen towards one of the blackboards for better emphasis “See? Formulas everywhere.”

 _“- It seems really complicated”_ , Laurent said readjusting his glasses. _“What are you using to make those?”_

“- You mean, the elements I use?”

_“- Yes, like the water temperature or something like that.”_

“- Well… I take into account the direction the kaijus took previously, the water temperature, the ocean current around the Breach, and a lot of other things.”

_“- So, you study the conditions around the Breach?”_

“- In a way yes.”

_“- And time? I suppose you do so it’s quite a stupid question…”_

 Miriel blinked. She stayed silent for a few seconds.

“- Time?”

_“- Yes? Like, the last one appeared a few days ago, right? And the one before? Do they appear at random times which is why you concentrate on the Breach itself? Or is it like, divided by two or something? Like a year, then six months, then three…”_

“- Oh my-“

 Miriel didn’t finish her sentence and rushed to the pile of kaiju records. She looked at their date of apparition. There was indeed a logical scheme behind all this. She burst into a loud laughter. A long nervous laughter. They had spent countless hours working on complicated formulas, and her 7-year-old son simply divided the thing by two. She laughed at this irony; they were under such a heavy pressure that they thought everything was complicated, they had searched for the conditions in which the kaijus would appear, and not when, which was the initial question. She came back to the screen, still laughing.

 “- Laurent, you’re a genius. You found the solution yourself!” She hid her mouth with her hand before adding “I can’t believe this, I was so into that calculus that I forgot the basics! My own son found the solution in less than a minute!”

 _“- You can be proud of yourself, kiddo!!”_ Vaike added, ruffling his son’s hair once again.

 _“- Well, you’re welcome?”_ the child said, a bit confused.

“- You can ask Dad to treat you to an ice cream today, you deserve it.”

_“- But you say that ice creams can give you tooth decay.”_

“- It doesn’t matter. Just ask your father to buy you something, you helped me a lot.”

 _“- Can I have a new book then?”_ Laurent asked with sparkling eyes.

“- Whatever you want, sweetheart.”

 Laurent turned to his father with a bright smile on his lips. Vaike pulled him into a hug and rubbed his cheek on the child’s hair.

_“- We’ll go to the bookshop after school then!”_

_“- Dad! You’ll twist my glasses again! Be careful!”_

_“- Yeah, right!”_ Vaike said, releasing him. _“Now go get dressed, or you’ll be late for school.”_

_“- Okay! Bye Mom!! I’m glad I helped you!”_

 Laurent waved at her and left a few seconds after. Miriel let her head fall on the desk, which made Vaike laugh.

_“- Be careful with your head, honey.”_

“- I can’t believe my own child found the answer while I’ve been working on this for weeks.”

_“- You said it yourself: you thought it was complicated. Don’t forget to start by the simplest things. He smiled gently: At least now you can get some rest.”_

“- I have to recalculate everything before, and make a report too.”

_“- You have an assistant, you’ll work twice as fast. Make sure you both take a long nap, okay? I gotta go, I have to make breakfast for Laurent. I’ll call you in a few days.”_

“- Understood… I, uh, I miss you”, Miriel added, looking away from the screen with slightly red cheeks.

_“- I miss you too, honey. I hope you’ll get back home soon.”_

“- Me too…Bye then?”

 _“- Bye-bye!!”_ Vaike said, with a bright smile, before ending the call.

 Miriel sighed and put her head on her arms again. She stayed like that for a few seconds before starting to giggle nervously, and soon she started to laugh again. She got up and went to the door, and the other three gave her a strange look when she came in, stumbling and laughing.

 “- Dear goodness, I think she’s turned crazy”, Maribelle stated.

“- Is everything alright?” Ricken asked with concern.

“- Laurent… He… He found the answer!” Managed the mathematician between bursts of laughter. “It was so simple we didn’t even see it! Now come here, so we finally end this and get rest!”

 Ricken looked at the others, puzzled, and Lissa took off her mask to smile at them.

 “- That’s great to hear, Miriel. I’m really glad for you both!”

 The young man smiled back and went towards Miriel. He put his hand on her arm to help her stand normally, and guided her to their room.

 “- Fine. Explain me what happened and let’s get to work then.”

 __________

The control room was buzzing in preparation for the drift. A dozen of people, including Sully and Stahl, were working on the last adjustments. Emmeryn came in and stood next to the red haired woman.

 “- How much time is there before everything is ready?”

“- We’ll be done shortly. Robin is already in the Shepherd, but Lon’zu’s a bit late”, Sully answered without looking at her. She talked in her microphone “Robin, everything okay in there?”

_“- Yeah, I had forgotten how tight the fighting suits were! And with all the modifications you made, you didn’t think about installing a sound system in the cockpit? You guys know I love listening to music!”_

“- I’m sorry this isn’t a car ride, Robin”, Emmeryn commented.

 _“- Oh, hello Marshal!_ ”

“- She’s been in a great mood today”, Stahl whispered to the commandant.

“- That’ll make her drift better”, Sully said with a smile.

_“- You said something?”_

“- Nothing important.”

 Robin pouted and sat in front of the “seats”. They were ready to be used, but she preferred to wait for Lon’zu. She sighed. There she was, ready to enter someone’s head again. And let someone enter hers. She couldn’t help but feel nervous; even if she had chosen her copilot herself, there was still a possibility that it wouldn’t work. That was one of the risks, and everyone was aware of that. When she heard Lon’zu’s footsteps, she got up with difficulty, and waited for him. She smiled at him when he entered the cockpit.

 “- Hi there! Ready for your first day as a pilot?”

“- It’s just a drifting test, not a real battle, you know?”

“- But that’s an important step. This will be your first drift. Do you mind if I take the right side?” She asked, pointing at the seat.

“- No problem.”

 Robin smiled at him and put her helmet on, before stepping on the right part of the command post. When she felt the hooks locking her shoes to the equipment, she took a deep breath. It was an old feeling she thought she had forgotten that was coming back to her. She felt her heart beat faster, and turned her head to Lon’zu. He didn’t look really reassured, but put his helmet on and stepped in anyways. Robin closed her eyes and let the machines move around her to complete the installation. After a few seconds, the only sound she could hear was her own breath. Everything was ready, now they just had to initialize the drift.

 “- How are they for now?” Emmeryn asked.

“- Both have fast heartbeats, but that’s quite normal”, said Stahl looking at his screen. “However Robin’s cerebral activity is rather intense. She’s definitely anxious under her layers of adrenaline. Lon’zu is tensed too, but he’s skilled at keeping calm. I think we’re fine.”

“- Has the drift started??” Chrom said, barging into the room.

“- Not yet”, Emmeryn answered. “If you’re going to stay here, be sure to not bother anyone. Am I clear?”

“- Yessir…”

 Emmeryn leaned over Sully’s desk and put the tip of her fingers on the microphone.

 “- Robin? Lon’zu?”

 _“- Yes?”_ Robin replied.

“- We’re about to initialize the drift. Are you ready?”

_“- Whenever you want, Marshal”._

 Robin took a deep breath and smiled at Lon’zu. They could hear the countdown in the distance, and just before the drift started, she closed her eyes to concentrate.

_A flash at first, like in her memory. Then a fast stop-motion of her life. The bay she had seen that very morning. The helicopter landing in front of the wall. Her hands chapped by the wind of Regna Ferox when she was working. The void in her head when her mother got killed in front of her eyes. Their training sessions. Their first day in the army. Her mother hugging her when she graduated from high school. Their evenings spent under a blanket while watching cartoons on TV. The day they left her father. The desperation of having lost a sister. A sharp breath. A giant robot and a monster. The warmth of a dark skin. Pink hair. Games. A strong feeling of jealousy. Pride._

_A new flash followed. Robin opened her eyes, gasping. Now there was the sensation of feeling every electrical message between her brain cells. They were drifting._

  _“- Everything okay down there?”_

“- Y-Yeah. We’re okay.”

_“- Lon’zu?”_

“- I’m fine.”

Sully turned to Emmeryn, who smiled with satisfaction. Chrom let out a sigh of relief. Stahl kept his eyes on his screen, making sure everything was okay. Robin looked at Lon’zu with a slight smirk.

 “- Your memories are quite sharp and mixed up, if I dare say.”

 He mumbled something unintelligible. _I know_. She gritted her teeth; she had to get used to the constant sharing again. It was an unusual feeling, and she could feel it in Lon’zu’s mind. He felt a bit uncomfortable, but he didn’t dislike the feeling. Actually he enjoyed it.

_Ke’ri!_

_A flash again. Lon’zu stopped running to catch his sister’s hand._

 

“- What’s happening?!” Emmeryn asked.

“- They’re getting out of the line!” Stahl said.

“- Both of them?” Sully inquired, turning her microphone on.

“- Yes!”

“- Robin, Lon’zu, you’re getting out of the line!”

“- I’m… I’m fine”, Lon’zu said with a weak voice.

“- Robin hasn’t come back yet!”

“- Lon’zu, wake her up! She’s chasing the R.A.B.B.I.T.!”

_Lon’zu opened his eyes. At first he thought he was still in the cockpit with Robin. But then he realised he was standing next to his actual seat. Robin was in his place. Her suit was exactly the same, as if nothing had changed. Her hair was a bit shorter and he was sure that her features appeared younger under her helmet. There was an other woman with her, who he identified as her mother. He got into Robin’s field of vision:_

_“- Robin! It’s all a memory! Wake up!”_

_He insisted, but she didn’t even notice his presence. The cockpit suddenly started to shake, and he had to hold onto something to not fall. Mother and daughter were moving at the same time with intensity and precision. Then a loud metallic noise rang out and Robin started to scream, holding her left side. The kaiju had destroyed the left part of the robot’s side. At this point Lon’zu couldn’t do anything but watch the scene with horrified eyes. They kept on fighting again and again, until two giant claws pierced through the cockpit. They looked at each other, their eyes full of terror._

_“- Robin! We have to –“_

_And then her mother disappeared into the void. Robin screamed again. And again. And again._

_“- ROBIN!!”_

_“-…Chrom?”_

_A new flash._

 

Lon’zu immediately took off his helmet and jumped from his seat, to run to Robin’s side. She collapsed into his arms, and he dragged her to the side where they sat.

Emmeryn, Sully, and Stahl looked at Chrom in shock. He still had his hand around Sully’s microphone, and after having looked at them for a few seconds, he silently stood up and took a step back.

 “- Did you just…?”

“- He woke her up…”

 Emmeryn had not said a thing, and was staring at him intensely. He expected her to yell at him for having intervened, and he saw various expressions on her face. In the end, she just looked away and concentrated on Stahl’s screen.

 “- Stahl, how are they?”

“- They, uh, Robin’s in a state of shock. Lon’zu’s a bit shaken up too, but he’s okay.”

“- I’m calling the infirmary”, Sully stated.

 Robin was trembling against Lon’zu’s torso. He carefully took off her helmet and forced her to look at him.

 “- Hey, you’re fine. It was a memory, okay? You’re fine.”

 Her eyes got teary, and she started to sob. He didn’t know what to do, so he awkwardly pulled her into a hug. She cried and called her mother countless times, until Emmeryn walked in, obviously worried.

 “- Are you okay? Both of you?”

“- I am… She’s shocked I think.”

“- We called the infirmary. We’ll take her there.”

“- Understood.”

 Lon’zu made Robin stand on her feet, putting an arm on her back to help her, but she collapsed after a few steps. Without any hesitation, he lifted her in his arms and carried her out of the Shepherd. Emmeryn accompanied them personally to the infirmary, along with Phila who had joined them. A bed had been prepared for Robin, and while Lon’zu was helping her lying down, Emmeryn talked to Libra – who was the official doctor of the base, asking him to keep her informed of the pilots’ state. Lon’zu assured that he was fine, but the commandant insisted that he should rest, so he obeyed. Libra made him lie down on the bed next to Robin’s when the two women had left, but he preferred to sit on its edge. The doctor treated Robin with gentleness, giving her comforting words and telling her what was happening. After calming her down, he put a jar of water with a glass next to her bed just in case, and told both of them to get some sleep. When he left, he lowered the intensity of the light to put them at ease.

Robin fell asleep after a while, but Lon’zu couldn’t. He had justlived that scene he had heard about for years. He had felt the total emptiness she had felt when her mother was ripped away from the Shepherd. Watching her ribcage move faintly with her breaths, he realised that Robin had been through hell. Her mother was her only family, and from what she had let him see, she had not seen her father in years. She was stronger than she appeared, and he respected her for that. They had similar experiences, but at least he had the chance of getting a family again. A shadow moved nearby the door, and when he glanced at it, he saw Olivia standing in the doorway. She ran to him and hugged him tight, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

 “- I was so worried”, she said with a weak voice.

“- I’m okay, Robin is the one in a bad state”, the pilot answered while hugging her back.

“ -I was working when they told me that your drift had failed. I rushed as soon as I could.”

“- It was just a test, I didn’t risk anything.”

“- You would be dead if it wasn’t.”

 Lon’zu didn’t answer, and Olivia didn’t insist. They stayed like that for a few seconds, until she took a step back to look at him. She cupped his face with her hands and smiled sadly.

 “- I forbid you to die, okay? I don’t want to lose my family again.”

“- I won’t die, I swear it.”

 She smiled again, her eyes a bit teary, and she rubbed them with her sleeve. She took another step back, saying she had to get back to work, and left as silently as she came.

Lon’zu got up and walked towards Robin. She was sleeping, but her frown was clearly telling that it was far from being a peaceful sleep. He suddenly felt guilty. He had tried to wake her up, but in the end he had been caught in the memory as well. It was so vivid that he had not realised at first it wasn’t reality. He remembered Robin saying that his memories were sharp and mixed up; she wasn’t wrong in a way. His past was blurry, and he relied more on Basilio’s memory than on his own. So when he had heard his own voice and seen his own hand so distinctly, he had panicked, and that’s what had made him go out of the line. Maybe if he hadn’t, Robin wouldn’t have ended up chasing the R.A.B.B.I.T.

She let out a grumble and covered her eyes with her arm, before saying in a voice so weak it was almost a whisper:

 “- How much time did I sleep?”

“- Less than thirty minutes.”

“-…I think I’d better stay awake.”

 She took her arm off and slowly opened her eyes, blinking several times. She sat in her bed and rubbed her face with her hands. Lon’zu gave her a glass of water, and she drank it in one go after having thanked him. Then, she started to fidget with her glass, looking at it absentmindedly.

 “- I’m sorry for what happened.”

“- We both knew it could happen, it’s not your fault.”

“- I did my best though…”

“- I am the one who should apologize. I got caught in your memory, and I couldn’t do anything.”

“- Wait… You’re not the one who woke me up?” Robin asked, finally looking at him.

“- I tried, but I’m not the one who did.”

 Robin looked at him for a few seconds, but didn’t answer. She had understood that something was wrong between him and Chrom, so she didn’t bother saying his name. Nor did Lon’zu. His memories were so confused that she didn’t really understand what was the origin of the tension between them, but she had sensed a strong feeling of jealousy and revenge.

She was about to get up when he forced her to remain seated, putting his hands on her shoulders.

 “- You should rest a bit more. If you don’t sleep, at least stay calm here.”

“- But I’m fine now.”

“- I said: stay calm. I’ll come and fetch you later, understood?”

 Robin couldn’t help but smile. He was acting calmly and neutrally with her the day before, and now he was being protective, as if they had known each other for years. It was the magic of drifting: suddenly you knew the other person better than yourself. She nodded, and Lon’zu left the room after having made sure she wouldn’t get up.

 The pilot left the infirmary after Libra checked if everything was okay. He advised him to not do too much and rest a bit more. When Lon’zu got out, he saw Chrom leaning against the wall in front of the entrance door. They stared at each other for a few seconds.

 “-…Don’t go near Robin.”

 Upon these words, Lon’zu left.

Chrom let out a snort and stood up, before entering the infirmary. That guy wouldn’t be the one to prevent him from seeing Robin. He asked Libra if he could go to the rest room where she was. The doctor hesitated, asked him to wait, and went to check on her. He came back a minute after.

 “- She’s awake, but be gentle with her.”

“- Understood.”

 Chrom went in and saw Robin lying on her bed, rubbing her forehead with her hand. He stood next to her, and she smiled at him before patting the edge of the bed, inviting him to sit, which he did. A small silence set in. Then Robin sat up.

 “- Are you the one who woke me up?”

“- I… Uh…” Chrom hesitated, blushing slightly. “I did. I think? I just shouted your name in Sully’s mic.”

“- So that’s what I thought. I heard your voice in my memory.” She smiled “Thank you.”

“- Y-you’re welcome.”

“- I can’t believe I did it… And I dragged Lon’zu with me…”

“- Hey, it’s not your fault. We all have dangerous memories. You know what mine is? When I saw my parents’ car entirely destroyed. I was barely eight. Emmeryn had to take care of Lissa and me since then. See?”

 Robin pinched her lips and looked down in silence. Chrom patted her arm gently with an encouraging smile. She took a deep breath, but couldn’t prevent her eyes from getting watery again. She tried to wipe the tears off.

 “- I miss her so much, Chrom…”

 He opened an arm, inviting her to come closer, and she snuggled up to him. He rubbed her back while she sobbed silently against his torso. After a few minutes, she finally calmed down. Then she raised her head.

 “- I need to go to the bathroom…”

“- It’s this way”, Chrom said while pointing at the door at the end of the room.

 Robin got up and walked to the door. She felt heavy, but she wasn’t sure if it was her imagination or if it was because of the fighting suit. She sprayed herself with cold water, before looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were red, and she looked pale. She attempted a smile, but it made it worse. She suddenly felt her stomach twist, and ran to the toilets. Chrom barged in a few seconds after when he heard her throw up; he came to her side and held her hair, while calling for Libra.

Robin was breathing heavily. Her throat was burning, her head was heavy, and her body felt numb. She barely understood what was happening. Everything around her was blurry, even Chrom’s voice sounded like he was miles away from her. She didn’t realise Libra’s presence either. The only thing that was clear in her mind is that she wanted to disappear.

 __________

“- So that’s it? We divide time by two?”

 Emmeryn lowered the report and looked at Miriel and Ricken. The young boy was standing awkwardly, not feeling at ease in the commandant’s office. She had the same pale green eyes as Lissa. However Miriel wasn’t impressed.

 “- Exactly. We think there will be a double attack soon.”

“- Fine. I’ll look at this in detail later. You’re on leave until tomorrow afternoon.”

“- Thank you, Marshal.”

“- T-Thanks!!”

 Both of them left the office in silence. Ricken stood there, not knowing what to do. It had been ages since the last time he had been on leave. He walked fast until he caught Miriel up, who had started to go away without waiting for him.

 “- What are you going to do, Miriel?”

“- First, get a fair amount of sleep. And then finish a book I started months ago. Why the question?”

“- Because I don’t know what to do…”

“- A young man like you doesn’t know what to do on his free time? How unexpected.”

“- I’m so used to being busy that I’m not even sure I have hobbies…”

“- You seem to have quite an intimate relationship with Lissa. I suggest you invite her for a date or something similar.”

“- Don’t say it like that!!” Said the boy, blushing hard. “And I don’t have anything “intimate” with her!”

“- You still seem closer to her than you are to Maribelle or myself.”

 Ricken pinched his lips and didn’t answer. He had never thought about it, and now he felt really stupid. Miriel had guessed there was something going on, and it was pretty certain that Maribelle had noticed it too. Chrom had the reputation of being totally oblivious, but he wasn’t sure it was the same for Lissa. He groaned. Miriel told him that instead of spending his time hesitating about it, he better take a nap first. It would help him relax and think better. He sighed and nodded as they where arriving at the lab. Lissa was sitting on her stool, holding her mask and gloves in her hands, while Maribelle was gently massaging her shoulders. Both of them looked at the mathematicians.

 “- So? How did it go?” Lissa asked.

“- Emmeryn seems satisfied with our results. We’re on leave until tomorrow afternoon”, Miriel explained.

“- You’re luckyyy! I don’t even remember when was the last time it happened!”

“- I suppose you’re going to get some sleep?” Maribelle questioned.

“- Mainly, yes. For the rest, I’ll see later.”

“- You too, Ricken?” Lissa continued.

“- Y-yes. Actually…” he looked at Miriel, then continued “I was thinking… that maybe you could… we could… can I invite you out for dinner?”

“- That would be a great idea!! What do you think Maribelle? It’ll help us take our minds off work!”

“- I…I meant…”

“- That would be an _excellent_ idea, darling!” Maribelle said while looking at Ricken with a satisfied smirk. She was obviously enjoying the misunderstanding.

“- Okay then! Let’s say we meet here at 8pm?”

 Ricken was entirely red, and it was too late for him to say that he had just wanted to invite Lissa. He’ll have to put up with Maribelle too. Not that she was mean nor anything, but she was the kind of person to get jealous and overprotective over Lissa. So being the chaperone probably didn’t bother her in the slightest.

Miriel patted his back in an encouraging manner, before leaving the room. They reminded her of Vaike and herself in their early days.

 ________

 The rest of the day had been long for Robin. She had spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping, under the constant surveillance of Libra who checked on her every twenty minutes. He finally let her go around dinner time, after several checks. She had changed and put on more comfortable clothes. The doctor gave her a small box of tranquilisers in case she needed it for the night, before asking her to come back the following morning for a last check.

When she went out, nobody was waiting for her outside. She remembered Lon’zu saying that he’d come back for her. He probably did, but she had spent most of the time asleep, so it was probable that Libra had sent him back. She shrugged and went to the mess; she wasn’t hungry, but at least she would see people, and her copilot would probably be there. So when she heard Basilio’s loud laugh and saw Lon’zu sitting next to him, she felt reassured. She didn’t bother to take a tray and directly went to their table. He saw her approaching and stood up in a single move, but she told him to sit back down with a move of the hand.

 “- I came to see you but Libra told me you needed rest”, Lon’zu said with a hint of concern in his voice. “Are you feeling better?”

“- I am, but I’m still tired. So I’m gonna go to my room.”

“- At least eat something”, Basilio intervened.

“- He’s right”, Lon’zu added.

“- No, I’m okay. I’m not hungry anyway.”

“- I insist, at least take this.”

 He gave her his piece of bread. She smiled gently. He probably had seen that she loved bread and that she could eat tons of it. She thanked him, wished them a good night and left. On her way to her room, she remembered the feeling that ran through her veins on that very morning. Taking over the world. My ass. She snorted and smiled at the irony of it all. She had felt at her best and at her worst in a few hours span, thinking that maybe she had overcome her loss and realising that it was actually carved in her skin for the rest of her life.

Without realising it, she had arrived to her door. She tried to unlock it, but it didn’t move. She insisted a few seconds, but nothing happened. She groaned loudly and kicked the door, which made a loud resonating sound.

 “- I fucking don’t need this right now for Naga’s fucking sake!”

 Suddenly, she heard the lock moving from the other side of the door. She frowned as she saw Chrom opening it. He looked earnestly surprised.

 “- Are you okay, Robin? Can I help you?”

“- What the hell are you doing in my room?!”

“-…Robin, that’s not your room.”

“- Of course it is!”

“- Robin, it’s not. Look.”

 He stepped aside and opened the door entirely to prove his point. She walked in and saw the walls covered with various rock band posters, newspaper articles, pictures from different times with different people. There was a small lamp that provided a soft light on the table, a grey radio set with a USB key plugged in and a pile of CDs next to it, and a laptop. The room was rather messy, with clothes scattered on the floor and the chairs.

Speaking of clothes, Chrom only had sweatpants on.

Robin looked away, trying to ignore the fact that he was bare-chested but couldn’t prevent herself from glancing at his abs. But that wasn’t the main problem; she really had mistaken his room for her own. She hid her red face with both hands.

 “- Gods, I’m so ashamed. I’m so sorry Chrom. I thought it was my room…”

“- Yeah, I guessed that!” Chrom said with a giggle. “At least you had the chance of finding my room, I wonder how awkward it would have been if you had kicked the door of a random technician.”

“- Chrom, this is awkward anyways.”

“- Let’s make it less awkward then.”

 He smiled, quickly made the bed by throwing the sheets on the pillow, picked up the clothes and tossed them in the bathroom, then rearranged his CDs. He invited Robin to sit on one of the chairs with a move of the hand. Then he realised, red-faced, that she was staring at his torso a bit too intensely, so he grabbed a random tank top in his closet and put it on. A small silence ensued, before Robin started to giggle.

 “- I think that by speaking of awkward we didn’t make things better.”

“- Yeah”, Chrom answered while scratching the back of his neck. “Hum… I don’t have anything to make tea or coffee but I always keep biscuits here. Do you want some?”

“- I’m not really hungry…”

 Chrom shrugged and took out a box of biscuits anyways, put it on the table, then sat down in front of Robin and picked one. Robin didn’t know what to do or say, and Chrom didn’t really want to ask how she was feeling, he was waiting for her to talk first. She hesitated, trying to find something to talk about, when her gaze fell upon Chrom’s right shoulder. He had the brand of his Shepherd – the Exalt – tattooed in a bright red color. She pointed at his arm with a smirk.

 “- So you really got your Shepherd symbol tattooed?”

“- Well, didn’t you do the same?” Chrom replied, mirroring her smirk and pointing at her right hand, where the Fell Dragon symbol was marked on her skin in purple.

“- Nevermind…” Robin said, covering her hand and blushing.

 She looked away and Chrom giggled. She felt stupid, but somehow it didn’t bother her that much. They were both dedicated to their work to the point their Shepherds had become a part of themselves. When she had left the army, it was hard for her to look at her hand at first, so she used to cover it with fingerless gloves. Later on she just avoided to look at the tattoo while working on the Wall of Life, and with the years it had almost lost its meaning. She absentmindedly caressed the back of her hand and looked at the posters. Chrom picked an other biscuit and ate it.

 “- You really have a thing for rock bands, you room looks like a teen’s room.”

“- I didn’t gife you tha right to dvuve my room”, Chrom managed with his mouth full.

“- I’m not judging, I like it actually. I really like Fall Out Boy too you know?” Robin replied while pointing at a poster. “I’ve even been to one of their concerts once.”

“- Really?!? Tell me, how was it?!”

“- It was ex-ce-llent. I sang so much and so loud that I spent the two following days voiceless. One of the best concerts I’ve ever been to.”

“- I didn’t know you were a fan of rock music.”

“- You bet I am! Centuries has been my alarm since my debuts as a pilot!”

“- The song is quite old but I won’t comment… because mine is Immortals.”

 The conversation went on, filled with name of songs and bands, anecdotes, stories about concerts and music suggestions. Robin was totally at ease, and had forgotten about her previous embarrassment. His presence was soothing, and even if he was clumsy sometimes, he had made her forget that she had a rather shitty day. She even smiled when she noticed that she had started to eat biscuits with him.

At some point they put music on and singed out loud, screaming they were on fire when My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark blasted through the room.

 

Yeah, Chrom had the ability to soothe her whole being.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a lot of dialogues in this chapter, so I hope it's not too boring. I hope I'll be able to write a new one before I start my second semester, but I can't guarantee it.


	7. 3.47 AM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lissa blushed harder and passed her hands on her face with a groan. She had thought he was just being nice to her like he was to everyone, so why would she have noticed any difference towards her? Ricken wasn’t the type of guy to get flirty, of course she couldn’t notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SO SO sorry for not having posted anything for like, a year. Life got in the way, I went through a depressed phase from December to April and then I worked the whole summer to finally start uni again. I finished this chapter in October or something, and I was waiting for my proofreader to do her job, but she's my waifu and she has a loooot of work to do (postgrad stuff mainly) so I forgive her; so in the end I'm posting it with uncorrected mistakes, and I hope there aren't a lot of them.
> 
> I really want to finish this story, even if I don't exactly know where this is going.  
> Enjoy your reading.

Ricken was pacing up and down in front of the laboratory door. He had taken a long shower, tried to arrange his hair to give it a wilder and less neat appearance, and put on a light-blue shirt with dark jeans and white sneakers. He was taking deep breaths, vainly attempting to calm down the frantic beating of his heart. He had asked Lissa on a “date”. She had agreed to it. With Maribelle. Maribelle had to tag along. He didn’t know what was the most awkward and stressful: him being alone with Lissa, taking the risk of leaving silences in the conversation, or having to endure Maribelle’s smirk and suggestive staring.

"-Ricken!"

Dear Naga. Ricken tensed and turned around with a strained smile. Lissa was waving at him, with a bright smile spread on her lips. She was wearing a pale yellow dress with brown boots. She had let her hair down and apparently given up on taming it. Maribelle was following her, already smirking at him. Her outfit was simple but classy; a white blouse with high-waisted pink trousers and ankle boots. Her blond ringlets were as impeccable as always.  
He wasn’t used to see them with other clothing than their white coats, and Lissa with her hair down was something he didn’t know he needed in his life. Until that very moment.

"-Sorry we’re late…I hope you didn’t wait too long? My hair wasn’t cooperative today…" Lissa said with a small pout.  
"-It’s fine, really!" Ricken replied waving his hands awkwardly.

They were indeed ten minutes late, but he didn’t mind at all. Actually, he was relieved; he had gained precious minutes to arrange his thoughts and prepare his speech. Well, that was in theory. Because now they were facing him, he was at a loss for words. And was that eyeliner on Lissa’s eyelids?

"-Poor boy, I think he’s broken!" Maribelle snorted.  
"-He’s not used to see girls except us, so I guess seeing ones who do not look like scientists is probably a rare view", justified Lissa. "Plus, we could say the same about him. You look really good with that shirt, Ricken. Blue suits you."  
"-T-thanks! You both look good too!"

 _Okay, breathe. You can do it._ Taking a deep breath, he smiled the best way he could and timidly offered his arm to Lissa.

"-Shall we go then?"

Lissa giggled and put her hand on his arm. But before he had the time to do or say anything, Maribelle grabbed his other arm and held onto it. She was frowning, but when he met her gaze, he definitely saw a spark of amusement in her eyes. His torture had definitely started.

"-I hope you’re not planning to leave a lady behind, Ricken. It would be rude of you."  
"-S-sure not, Maribelle."  
"-So, do you know where we’re going?" Lissa inquired.  
"-I made a reservation in a Chon’sin restaurant. I hope you both like Chon’sin food…?"  
"-Oh my Naga, it’s been ages since I last ate that kind of food! It’s a great idea!"  
"-I’ve never tried it, but I suppose it’s worth a try."

New eye contact with Maribelle. Her slight nod confirmed he made a good point by planning something up. He relaxed a bit. He explained that it wasn’t really far from the Shatterdome, but if they were too tired they could still catch a taxi. Lissa rolled her eyes with a smile, telling him they were fine and that they were able to walk perfectly, plus that would make them do a bit of exercise.  
They were about to get to an intersection of a corridor when a redhead came from the right. Upon seeing them, he stopped and smirked, an eyebrow raised. Maribelle froze, making the three of them stop.

"-Goldilocks! You look pretty ravishing tonight, if I dare say. Going on a date?"  
"-It’s not… Ricken mumbled."

Gaius looked at them for at least two long seconds, trying not to laugh because of Ricken’s embarrassed face and Maribelle’s obvious urge to tear his guts out. Lissa was pinching her lips to not giggle. When he saw the way Maribelle was holding onto the young man’s arm, his smirk grew larger as he looked at him.

"-My my, don’t tell me Goldilocks is actually here to cockblock you? Poor boy."

Both of them turned bright red; Ricken in embarrassment and Maribelle in pure rage. He tried to mumble something but in the end he barely waved his hands. Maribelle released him.

"-Why don’t you just disappear, for Naga’s sake?!?"  
"-Sorry sorry, I just couldn’t help but tease you, Gaius said with a smile."  
"-Go away!!"  
"-Your wishes are my command, Goldilocks."

He had unwrapped a lollipop while talking and when he finished teasing them, he put it in his mouth, winked at them, then left while whistling. Maribelle clenched her jaw and let out a groan. Ricken made a sorry face, his cheeks still red, while Lissa bent down a bit to look at her friend.

"-Come on, Maribelle, forget about him. He just likes to tease you."  
"-I know and I hate it!"  
"-Plus we both know you’re not here to cockblock anyone, right Ricken?"  
"-Y-yeah! I don’t know why he said that hahaha!"

Oh gods, he wanted to disappear.  
\---

Robin groaned in her bed. She could hear a sound in the distance, like an announcement. She tried to concentrate on the noise.

_Shepherd approaching gate 4, Shepherd approaching gate 4. The appointed technicians of the Minerva are required on their posts. Shepherd approaching gate 4…_

She lazily opened an eye to check the time on her phone screen. 3:47 A.M. Just when she was about to fall asleep once and for all. She sat down and stared at the wall in front of her, or at least towards the wall since she was surrounded by the darkness of the room. What would she do? Try to go back to sleep, which had been quite a failure for now, or go greet the brand new Shepherd?  
She hesitated a few seconds, weighing up the pros and cons, and finally decided to get up. She turned on the light and stretched with a yawn, grabbed her clothes scattered on the floor and put them on, took her phone, and finally went out.  
As she walked in the corridor, staying on the side to avoid men rushing towards the gate, she realised Emmeryn had not mentioned that Shepherd. She had probably heard the name when she was working on the wall, but since she had tried to cut the army out of her life, she had not bothered to remember the names of the ones who took her place.

While walking, she noticed a familiar figure in front of her. She sped up until she was standing next to him and bent a bit to catch his attention. She seemed to catch him in the middle of his reverie.  
"-Frederick? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"  
"-I could ask the same about you, miss."  
Robin scratched her neck and pinched her lips."  
"-I couldn’t sleep, and I hear the call about that Shepherd… Since Marshal Emmeryn didn’t mention it to me, I got curious. What about you?"  
"-I, uh… I couldn’t sleep either."

He turned his head and looked away, and Robin was sure she had seen his cheeks take a slight shade of red. Which didn’t seem really Frederick-like in her opinion, but she didn’t know him enough yet to confirm it. She smiled nonetheless, but didn’t comment. They walked silently for the next few minutes, until they reached the control room. As expected, Emmeryn was there, and so did Sully and Stahl who were giving various orders to the technicians rushing around to make sure everything would be ready for the Shepherd’s arrival. Robin and Frederick didn’t announce themselves nor disturbed them, and just stepped aside to not be in the doorway. They weren’t supposed to be there in the first place, so they waited patiently, observing the gate opening slowly in the distance. Frederick couldn’t hold still, but tried his best to remain quiet.  
When the Marshal turned around and saw them, she raised an eyebrow, surprised to see them there. Both pilots straightened their backs and saluted her from afar. She gave a few more instructions then walked towards them.

"-What are you doing here?"  
"-Just checking if everything is fine, Marshal."  
"-Frederick, I know you’re very devoted, but I need you rested in case of an attack, I can’t let you get up in the middle of the night when a Shepherd comes back. The same goes for you, Robin."

Robin nodded, and so did Frederick, though pinching his lips and frowning a little.  
"-Everything is fine for now", Emmeryn added. "There is no activity near the breach, so I suggest you go back to your quarters. Or…"

Robin saw a small malicious spark in Emmeryn’s eyes, which was rare and only to be seen when she wasn’t on duty. The corner of her mouth moved slightly in a small smirk, and the pilot understood that she and Frederick probably had a deep connection, something stronger than just a marshal-pilot relationship.

"-…maybe you should go greet the pilots since you’re up? I’m sure they would be delighted to have someone waiting for them in the middle of the night to check on them."  
"- It is indeed a good suggestion, Marshal", Frederick answered with the same expression.  
"- Off you go then." She spoke in a louder voice, not turning back: "Sully, I need you to go check on them."  
"- Yessir!"

Sully got up from her desk, and raised an eyebrow when she noticed that Frederick and Robin were there. She smirked, but didn’t comment when she joined them.

"-Robin and Frederick will come with you."  
"-Understood. Let’s go then."

She walked towards the door, and the two pilots followed her. They walked for a few minutes, until Frederick started to walk in front of them, which allowed Robin to grab Sully by the arm and whisper:

"-What’s wrong with him?"  
"-Oh well, he might or might not have a crush on a certain pilot, and he always makes sure she comes back safe from her patrols", Sully answered with the same voice.  
"-That’s… unexpected I guess."  
"-Not really. Wait until you see her and you’ll get why he’s bewitched. Especially her back."  
"-Her back?"  
"-You’ll understand when you’ll see it."  
"-Okay… Also, I have another thing to ask you."  
"-Yeah?"  
"-Is he a friend of Emmeryn? They looked familiar to each other but still… polite."  
"-I heard that he’s her childhood friend or something of the sort, and that he helped her raise Chrom and Lissa when their parents died."  
"-I see."

She remembered Chrom mentioning that his parents died in a car accident when he was a child, but he seemed to be fine with it. Or not too traumatized. Or he was hiding it well. Maybe he was very young when it happened, but it probably had been really hard for Emmeryn who had to deal with her parent’s loss and be strong for her siblings. It was probably how she got her sense of responsibilities and her imperturbable look.  
Her eyes fell on Frederick again. She was rather surprised he could have a crush on someone, as he seemed to be the kind of man fine on his own and too devoted to his work to have the time for any kind of relationship. But if the girl was like him, it could actually work…  
They reached the deck, a circular room that gave direct access to the Shepherd’s head, and waited a few minutes until the Minerva arrived and stopped in front of the gate. The motors were shut down one by one as the door opened and the two pilots went out, taking their helmets off. The man, who had blue hair, passed a hand through it with a sigh, while the woman wiped her forehead. Both were exhausted, but it seemed to disappear the second their eyes fell on the small group.

"-My dearest flower! I am delighted you decided to welcome me by your divine presence. You look marvellous, my sweet Sully."  
"-And you look like a mop, you need a shower."

The man put a hand on his heart, dramatically showing that she had hurt him.

"-How cold you can be!"  
"-I’m not here by choice, I’m just doing my work and checking on both of you."

Robin watched them argue for a few seconds more, then turned to Frederick and the woman, who were looking at each other with loving expressions. He slightly bowed, making her smile grow larger.

"-It is a pleasure to see you safe and sound, Zelcher."  
"-And it is a pleasure to see you again, Frederick."

The woman suddenly noticed Robin’s presence and smiled at her, apparently not bothered at all by the fact she had seen them in their moment of “privacy”.

"-I assume you are Robin? My apologies for not having had the chance to be introduced to you earlier, my patrol went longer than expected. My name is Zelcher."  
"-Pleased to meet you, Zelcher. I hope we’ll get on well."

The woman smiled again, and was about to say something when she got interrupted by her companion, who put an arm around her shoulders. Frederick frowned and clenched his fists.

"-I have heard we have a new pilot in our ranks? If I had known how gorgeous the said pilot is earlier, I would have gone back to the Shatterdome straight away! Virion, at your service."

He took Robin’s hand and kissed it, making her look at him rather suspiciously. She answered politely nonetheless.

"-Robin, pilot of the Fell Dragon."

He let her hand go and turned to Zelcher with a smile, and started chatting with Frederick. Robin took the chance to step aside, enough to go near Sully and speak in a small voice.

"-Is he always like that?"  
"-Always. But you get used to it with time."  
"-So she’s Frederick’s girlfriend?"  
"-Not sure yet. I might not be interested in people’s love lives, I‘m rather curious about them. But I have connections, I’ll know it sooner or later."  
"-Zelcher is rather beautiful, if I dare say. She has nice features."  
"-I know, right? Most of the Shatterdome turns around to look at her when she walks."

And she quickly understood why. Frederick and Zelcher walked past them, heading to the door, and Robin caught a glimpse of her back under the woman’s long and straight hair.  
Except for the metallic backbone of her armour, most of her back was visible. Which technically could be tolerated, since the pilots might not be in direct contact with the kaijus. Maybe it was more bearable like that. Sometimes she felt like she was suffocating in her own armour, and she took note of it. Maybe she would ask her about it later.

___

Chrom turned around for the thousandth time in his bed. He had spent a while sitting on his bed and looking at his posters when Robin left, remembering the details of their conversation. It had started wildly, he had to admit it. He hadn’t expected her to kick his door and swear, but it was most certainly due to the fact she was physically and mentally exhausted.  
These thoughts followed him when he finally went to bed. What could he do to help her? Nothing would make him change his mind about drifting with her. He had dreamt about that for ages, and now he had met her he knew that she was a great person and that made his will stronger.  
When the alarm started to ring out, he looked at his clock. 3:47 A.M. Already? He sighed. He would be exhausted the following day, that was for sure. He finally got up, turned his light on, and went to fetch his laptop before grabbing a chair and pulling it towards the bed. He placed the device on it and turned it on. He sat back down and chose a movie to watch. He picked his favourite: the one about a prince meeting an amnesiac girl who becomes her tactician (and wife) and turns out to be the bad guy of the story. A classic plot but with great characters. The heroine had always fascinated him, and reminded him of Robin in some ways. He finally fell asleep in the middle of the movie, when the main characters’ daughter decides to kill her mother in order to save the world.  
He saw himself wielding the prince’s sacred sword to save a blue haired girl who apparently was his daughter, and who was looking for her friends who were Shepherd pilots but without actual Shepherds; then he woke up when he realised that the Queen of the kingdom was Emmeryn and that Robin tried to kill her on the top of the Shatterdome, laughing and with wind blowing through her hair.  
___

Ricken sighed in relief. Or in exhaustion? Who knew. The girls had gone to the bathroom and weren’t back yet, which gave him a bit of time to breathe. The evening was going well, and he managed to keep the conversation going, even if it was mostly him and Lissa talking and Maribelle watching them silently while eating. Lissa was acting the same way as usual: lively, funny, and above all making him forget they were trying to find ways to save the world on a daily basis. She made him feel like a normal teenager.  
So what happened in the bathroom so she suddenly fell silent?  
Lissa sat down at the table, her cheeks slightly red, while Maribelle went back to her seat with a satisfied smile on her lips.

"-Are you okay, Lissa?"  
"-Y-Yeah, I’m fine! I’m just a bit tired."  
"-Do you want to go back to the Shatterdome? Maybe you should get rest."  
"-I’m okay, really!"

She didn’t look at him in the eyes, which was rather strange coming from her. Ricken glanced at Maribelle, who smirked at him. What did she tell Lissa to make her act so strangely? He shook his head and stood up.

"-Wait for me here, I’m going to pay and we’ll get back."  
"-N-no! We can split the bill, right Maribelle?" Lissa mumbled.  
"-Of course we can."  
"-I insist, I’m going to pay for dinner." Ricken replied.  
"-Then I’ll treat you to a coffee someday!" Lissa added.

The idea of it pleased him very much, but he brushed the thought aside. Maribelle stood up and took out her purse.

"-This is very gentleman-like of you, Ricken, but we’re in the 21st century. I will pay for my dinner. But thank you for the proposal."

And upon these words, she left. Lissa and Ricken looked at each other, before she looked away, pinching her lips. He cleared his throat and timidly declared that he would pay for her, but that he agreed for a coffee someday. He left the table, walking unnaturally with his back straightened, and joined Maribelle at the bar where she was already paying. She smirked at him when she saw him.

"-So you took your decision?"  
"-What did you tell Lissa to make her look so embarrassed to even look at me?"  
"-Oh, that… "she smiled to herself. "Just a few things."

She patted his shoulder with a giggle and went back to their table. Ricken leaned on the bar with a sigh of despair, holding his credit card out to the barman.

___

"-It is very nice of you to accompany me, Frederick."  
"-You’re welcome, you know I enjoy your company."

Zelcher opened the door of her room and let him in. He took his shoes off and left them outside; this habit of his always made her smile, because it reminded her of herself in a way. She put her hand on his arm, requesting his attention.

"-Since it is very late – or early if I must say – I assume you won’t go back to sleep and wait for tomorrow morning?"  
"-I suppose so, miss."  
"-Why don’t you stay here and keep me company then?"  
"-I’d rather not, you must get rest. I can’t bother you."

Zelcher walked to the bathroom as they were talking, keeping the door ajar so she could hear him while she was taking off the rest of her armour – meaning the skin-tight suit, as the biggest parts had already been removed – and went back to the room wearing a tank top and shorts.

"-Frederick, who said I wouldn’t get rest?"

He kept silent, and Zelcher smiled at him. A tender smile, the one that always made his stomach twist and his mind go blank. He couldn’t say no that smile. His expression got less serious and a tender light appeared in his eyes.

"-You know I can’t refuse you anything when you look at me like this."

He took her hand and gently brushed his lips on the tip of her fingers, then brought it to his cheek and closed his eyes. He felt the warmth of her skin against his own, and frowned slightly.

"-I am so relieved that you’re back."  
"-I am relieved to see you again, Frederick."

She softly hugged him, and he put an arm around her shoulders to bring her closer. He kissed the top of her head and rested his chin on it, then both of them sighed in unison, which made her giggle and leave his embrace to look at him.

"-Will you sleep with me tonight then?"  
"-Anything for you, milady."

And both of them went to sleep when the whole world was waking up.

____

Lissa was looking at the phosphorescent stars glued on the ceiling above her bed, while tapping her fingers against her stomach. Her cheeks were burning, and she was playing on repeat everything that had happened between her and Ricken during dinner, and even before.

 _"-I hope you’re not being oblivious this time, dear?"_  
" _-Oblivious? To what?"_  
_"-Dear Naga," Maribelle groaned rolling her eyes," I’m talking about Ricken."_  
_"-… I don’t get it?"_

_Maribelle sighed and took out her foundation from her purse to put some on her face. She looked at Lissa through the reflection in the mirror._

__

_"-You’re worse than your brother. Didn’t you get he has a huge crush on you?"_

Lissa blushed harder and passed her hands on her face with a groan. She had thought he was just being nice to her like he did to everyone, so why would she have noticed any difference towards her? Ricken wasn’t the type of guy to get flirty, of course she couldn’t notice.

_"-My my, don’t tell me Goldilocks is actually here to cockblock you? Poor boy."_

__

This time, she stood up and went straight to the bathroom to drink a glass of water. She checked her phone when she came back, and sighed. 3:47AM. She would have to get back to the laboratory in less than three hours.

 _"-W-w-wait, what?? A crush??"_  
_"-Lissa, haven’t you noticed that I’m here to third wheel you?"_

So she had thought that he wanted to invite them both. Turns out she was wrong. It was way too embarrassing for her to handle, so she lied back down on the bed and buried her head in her pillow to muffle her scream.  
Thanks Naga he had a day off.  
___

The mess was rather empty during the first hour after its opening, which never surprised Lon’zu. However, what surprised him was seeing Robin this early. Wasn’t she supposed to get rest? He got up from his bench and walked to her, while Gregor was giving her a tray. She gasped in surprise when she turned and saw him.

"-What are you doing here, Robin?"  
"-Uh… Getting breakfast?"

Lon’zu sighed and bent his head, scratching his neck.

"-Robin, Libra told you to get rest."  
"-I will, I swear. But I’m hungry, and if I eat now I’ll be sure to avoid any unnecessary noise when the mess will be crowded, don’t you think?"  
"-… Right."

She followed him as he went back to his table. She looked around, expecting to see Flavia and Basilio nearby, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"-You were eating alone?"  
"-I tend to avoid the crowd too", Lon’zu said while sipping his coffee, "Flavia and Basilio always come later, when the mess is about to close."  
"-They’re not early birds, I assume."  
"-More or less."

He looked at her silently, watching her spread butter on her tiny piece of bread meticulously. She was so concentrated on her task that she didn’t notice him doing so, which made him smile a little.

"-How are you feeling?"  
"-Uh?" Robin mumbled, lifting her head.  
"-Are you feeling better?"  
"-Oh… Well, let’s say I didn’t have the best night of my life. I also went to greet Zelcher and Virion when they came back. The Marshal had forgotten to tell me about them the other day."  
"-You got up at four o’clock?"

She waved her hands awkwardly, trying to avoid his look of disapproval.

"-I wasn’t asleep, so I thought that a little walk would help me?"

Lon’zu grumbled and went back to his coffee. She eyed him silently, feeling a bit sorry for him; he was worried about her and all she did was telling him that she actually didn’t sleep. She brushed the tip of her fingers on the back of his hand to make him look at her.

"-I’m sorry, you’re worried because of me."  
"-… to be honest, I didn’t sleep well either."  
"-... is it because of me?"  
"-Honestly, your memory was very vivid, so it felt like losing my own mother…again."  
"-I had troubles understanding your past, actually."  
"-I have troubles understanding it too."  
"-Do you want to talk about it?"  
"-I’d rather not… yet."

He stood up, taking his tray. He didn’t want to explain it to her, but she would know about it sooner or later. Maybe that was the reason he refused to tell her: because his memories would probably be clearer than his words.

When Robin left the mess half an hour later, it was still bothering her. Libra noticed it during her morning check up.

"-Something wrong, Miss Robin?"  
"-Oh, uh… Nothing."  
"-I’m not an idiot", Libra said with a small frown, "you can tell me. Mental well-being is as important as physical health, and if you’re not willing to tell Libra the doctor, then you can tell Libra the priest."  
"-Libra the priest?"  
"-Someone has to remind everyone that Naga can listen to them if they need to be heard."  
"-I see…It’s just… Lon’zu seems sceptical about sharing his past with me. When we were drifting, his memories were just flashes… Is he voluntarily hiding something?"

Libra rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"-I think he does not do that on purpose. The human psyche has strange and interesting coping mechanisms. Have you ever heard of selective memory?"  
"-When your brain forgets something on purpose?"  
"-Yes. Normally I would have said he just needs time to open up to you, but if we take into account the images you saw, then I think we can conclude he had a traumatic experience when he was younger. Or something of the sort. Something he needed to forget – deliberately or not – in order to move on."

Robin tapped her lips with a small pout, frowning. That would be a possible explanation.

__

“Do you have any kind of trauma which might make you go out of the line?”  
“My past isn’t important.”

She remembered him saying this during their pre-battle meeting. She sighed – it was important now. He could not hide secrets from her; and if that wasn’t a secret, then he had to try to make peace with his past. Or else it would affect the quality of their drift.

“- Libra?”  
“- Yes?”  
“- Is there any drifting system used for training in the Shatterdome?”  
\- “One not connected to a Shepherd? Of course, we test every pilot during their training.”  
“- It wasn’t very common when I started, that’s why I ask. Do you think I could use one with Lon’zu?”  
“- I don’t think Marshal Emmeryn will have any objection to it.”  
“- I wouldn’t want to destroy half of the building” Robin said with a laugh.

___

Stahl let himself fall on his bed with a loud sigh. The night had been long – though uneventful except the return of the Minerva – and he was glad he could finally get some rest. He had supervised the whole check-up of the Shepherd, which took him three hours more before Emmeryn finally decided to send him back to his quarters.  
After a shower and a bunch of well-deserved snacks, lying down on his bed was the ultimate comfort he could dream of.  
Oh well.  
There was an other ultimate comfort above that.  
He took his phone and checked the time. It was past seven in the morning, and it was a weekday. He quickly went through his contacts and started his call, fingers crossed. He smiled upon hearing a sleepy voice on the other side of the phone.

“- Stahl…?”  
“- Good morning, beautiful.”  
“- You’re up already…?”

Stahl put the speaker on and laid on his back, leaving the phone on his chest.  
“- I was going to go to bed actually. I wanted a goodnight kiss.”  
“- So you went for a goodnight call.”  
“- And a good morning call for you. Is my son up already?”  
“- I hope not, I’d like to enjoy a few more minutes of sleep…”  
“- Too late, I woke you up.”  
“- …I don’t mind actually. You do that even at home anyways.”  
Stahl laughed “Indeed! But seeing your sleepy face is the best thing to wake up to!”  
He could already imagine his wife’s small smile over the phone “…I miss you, Stahl. The bed is cold on mornings.”  
“- And my bed is way too small in my opinion, so we’re even.”  
“- Will you come home soon?”  
“- …I hope, honey. I really hope.”  
“- I should let you go to sleep, you must be exhausted.”  
“- Yeah…”  
“- Goodnight, Stahl”  
“- Have a nice day, honey.”

He waited for her to hang up, and sighed, a smile on his lips. He put his phone on the ground and settled comfortably against his pillow.  
He fell asleep in a matter of minutes.


	8. She's My Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She noticed a move to her left and instantly reacted. She stopped Lon’zu’s wrist before he could touch her head. Of course, he had intended to stop before he would actually punch her. She smiled playfully.
> 
> “Did you really think I let my guard down?”  
> “Well, that’s what I wanted to check.”  
> “I could have sent you flying if I wanted to.”
> 
> Lon’zu smirked.  
> “Oh, really?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm getting uninspired when it comes to chapter titles haha.  
> I tried to sitck to the 1 chapter = 1 day but I already have 16 pages on word so I think it's better to cut it in two. I swear I wanted to add a bit of action but I guess it will be for the next one!!

            The clock displayed 8:38AM when Olivia left the mess. It was Nowi’s turn to help Gregor preparing lunch, so she had some time to herself. She yawned and stretched as she walked back to her room. She took a quick shower, letting the hot water run down her shoulders for a while, humming along the radio that she had turned on.

When she came out, she put on sweatpants with a t-shirt, braided her hair loosely, quickly made her bed and cleaned her room – not that it was actually dirty, but she liked to keep the place tidy – before grabbing her portable speakers with her Ipod, and her bag of dirty laundry, to go out. She first went to the launderette, where she put her clothes to wash, then walked in direction of the training rooms. Despite not being a pilot herself, she had access to the training rooms as well. In fact, everyone had access to them, for there wasn’t much to do in the Shatterdome to keep oneself busy when not on duty. Soon, it would be warm enough to go outside for a jog, instead of running aimlessly on a treadmill. If there was something she hated about the Shatterdome, it was its lack of windows. The whole thing was built like a bunker – obviously – but she wouldn’t have minded a small dormer in her room. To solve the problem, she had hung several posters of landscapes on the walls, with a bit more lamps than necessary to give an impression of light. It wasn’t as good as having a real window, but it still gave the place a warm atmosphere.

 

Only Lon’zu was there when she entered the training room. He was punching a sandbag with all his strength, his back turned to her. He was wearing nothing but black sweatpants, and she let he gaze wander on his muscled back for a few seconds. She walked past him, and put her stuff on the ground, next to his towel and water bottle, before turning around to look at him.

 

“Good morning.”

 

He stopped punching the bag and kept it steady with a hand, wiping his forehead with the other.

 

“Good morning, Olivia.”

“Slept well?” she asked with a smile.

“Not really.”

“Let me guess, yesterday’s events shook you up.”

“They did. Can you give me my water please?”

 

She took the bottle and tossed it at him; he caught it and drank, before tossing it back at her with a sigh.

 

“Say…” he started, wiping the corner of his mouth.

“Yes?”

“Do you have memories of… you know, the day your family…died?”

“Why the question?”

“Because Robin’s was intense. Vivid.” He looked at the bag, brushing the tip of his fingers on the fabric “I was caught in the memory. I didn’t just see it... I felt it. I saw her mother getting ripped off of the Shepherd, and I felt the sudden silence in her head… And the void taking over her. It was frightening.”

“…Are you telling me you’re planning to give up on piloting?”

“Of course not. I just didn’t expect emotions to be this intense… But it also made me think about myself.”

 

She looked at him silently, waiting for him to continue.

 

“…That day is very blurry, you know… Like, if Basilio hadn’t found a couple of family pictures in the ruins of my house, I would have probably forgotten how my parents looked like. But back in the Shepherd… I heard myself screaming my sister’s name.” He clenched his jaw “I can’t figure out if I left out those memories on purpose or not.”

“You’re scared to open the wound again, which is understandable. If you get overwhelmed, you might get out of the line.”

“She chased the R.A.B.B.I.T. because of me.”

“…She did?”

“I got out of the line first, and she got overwhelmed by her memory.”

 

Olivia observed him for a few seconds, then walked closer to him. She kicked her shoes off and stepped on the training mat, and cupped his face with both hands.

 

“I don’t know if I want to remember or not…” he whispered, closing his eyes.

“You have to, or the drift won’t work… You can’t lock a part of yourself to Robin. She’s your partner now.”

“I know…”

 

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss his forehead softly. He opened his eyes and faintly smiled at her. He put his hands on her hips, but stopped himself at the last second before he pulled her closer to hug her.

 

“I shouldn’t, I’m all sweaty.” He said with a small yet playful grin.

“Indeed!” She replied with a laugh.

He patted her head instead “There.”

“One day I’ll be taller than you” she commented.

“You’ve been saying this for the past ten years at least. I’m still waiting.”

“You’re just bragging because you’re the tall one for now!” she pouted.

 

Lon’zu chuckled faintly and let her go. He took a step back, looked at her for a couple of seconds, then went back to his usual serious expression. She raised an eyebrow.

 

“What’s wrong?”

“I’d like to check something.”

“Sure. What’s-“

 

She noticed a move to her left and instantly reacted. She stopped Lon’zu’s wrist before he could touch her head. Of course, he had intended to stop before he would actually punch her. She smiled playfully.

 

“Did you really think I let my guard down?”

“Well, that’s what I wanted to check.”

“I could have sent you flying if I wanted to.”

 

Lon’zu smirked.

“Oh, really?”

 

            When Robin arrived five minutes later, they were half-wrestling half-tickling each other; Olivia yelping and laughing, Lon’zu snorting and grinning playfully. She stood in the doorway to not disturb them. She knew it was one of their private moments, stolen minutes in the middle of an everyday war, and seeing Lon’zu so relaxed around her made her smile. He always kept his serious face on; it was good to see that he sometimes let it fade.

            Olivia fell on her back, and he straddled her to tickle her sides. She squealed and tried to catch his hands – in vain – completely out of breath. After a few seconds, Lon’zu lifted his head and noticed his partner looking at them. Olivia caught her breath and turned her head in the direction he was looking at.

 

“What’s wro-“

 

She froze when she saw Robin, and turned entirely red. The pilot laughed wholeheartedly.

 

“Please, just pretend I’m not here!”

“L-Lon’zu please let me g-go” Olivia stuttered, and hid her face in her hands.

 

Lon’zu moved to the side, blushing faintly as well. Olivia wanted to disappear. _Oh my Naga, that’s so embarrassing. What is she going to believe???_ She rolled on the side, her back turned to the door to avoid Robin’s gaze. Lon’zu cleared his throat and stood up, smoothed his clothes, and held his hand out to her. The young woman took it, stood up as well, and let go of his hand to rearrange her t-shirt that had rode up her stomach.

 

“I’m…Uh…I’ll let you train.” Olivia muttered.

“Sorry for disturbing you.” Robin apologised as she took her shoes off and stepped on the training mat.

“It’s fine.” Lon’zu said, looking away.

“I’ll be in the adjacent room, if you need me…”

 

            Olivia grabbed her shoes and speakers, and walked away quickly. Once she reached the door, she turned around.

 

“By the way…Lon’zu?”

“Yes?”

“To answer your question, I remember every single detail of that day.”

 

She smiled at him, though he could easily see the sadness in her eyes.

 

\---

 

            When Frederick woke up, he did not open his eyes. He preferred focusing on Zelcher’s warmth; she was curled up against him, nuzzling in his neck and breathing slowly against his skin, an arm wrapped around his waist and their legs intertwined. He sleepily passed his hand in her silky red hair, combing its strands with his fingers. She sighed and held him closer, and he smiled. He opened an eye and looked for the alarm clock. The mess had closed already at this hour. He shrugged and made himself comfortable against her.

 

“What time is it…?” she mumbled.

“Way too early for you to wake up.” He replied, kissing the top of her head.

“You should go…”

“Only if you promise to fall back asleep. You need rest.”

“Yessir…” she whispered with a smile.

 

            After a couple of minutes, he slowly moved away from her embrace, cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead. He got out of bed, almost falling in the process - he’d never get used to the fact they had to share a single bed when they slept together – and managed to find his t-shirt despite the darkness to put it back on. He heard her sigh faintly and bury herself under the covers, seeking the last remains of his warmth and scent .

Frederick discreetly walked out, and closed the door behind him.

\---

 

            Lissa yawned for the fifth time in the past two minutes. Maribelle was not there yet, and being alone in the laboratory felt kind of strange. It was too silent. Not that Miriel and Ricken were usually loud in their work, but at least she knew they were in the adjacent room. It was almost too boring.

Oh well, a bit of music never killed anyone.

            Gaius had once explained to her how to hack the speakers used for announcements – when Maribelle was not there, of course – to plug her computer in and use them as a sound system. She had used that trick a couple of times already, when she needed to blow off some steam.

 

            When Chrom pushed the door of the laboratory, a coffee in hand, he surely hadn’t expected his sister to dance on loud music in the middle of the room, with no one else to be seen. She had taken off her shirt, her undershirt leaving her bare skin, and exposing the tattoo that covered her back and arms. She smiled at him and invited him to join with a move of the head when she noticed his presence. He burst into laughter and put his cup on the nearest table to join her. Both were terrible at dancing, their singing was worse, but they knew the lyrics by heart and sang all out those songs they had learnt together as children.

 

_Oh, won’t you, follow me, into the juuungleeee!_

 

            The music was so loud the containers and the cup vibrated in rhythm. Lissa tilted her head back, smiling brightly, letting the tune beat through her entire body. She almost forgot she was in the middle of a laboratory filled with giant organs from deadly aliens; it was so easy to picture herself and her brother ten years before, in the middle of their living room while Emmeryn hummed the song as well, leaning on the doorway.

When the song ended, they high-fived and she walked to the computer to lower the volume so they could talk.

 

“What’s up with you to put loud music on so early in the morning?” Chrom asked.

“I needed to unwind, that’s all.”

“Something wrong?”

“You mean except giant monsters trying to destroy humanity? I’m definitely fine!”

 

Chrom stayed silent, raising an eyebrow. He was not convinced at all. His sister pouted and turned the volume even lower.

 

“Fiiiine I went for dinner with Maribelle and Ricken yesterday.”

“That’s cool! Did it go well?” He asked, grabbing a stool and sitting on it.

“It did.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

“Well…” she sat on the table next to him, fidgeting with her fingers “Yesterday, Miriel and Ricken made important discoveries regarding the apparitions of the kaijus, so Emm gave them a day off as a reward. Ricken invited me for dinner… and I thought he invited Maribelle too.” She hid her eyes with a hand, blushing “when we went to the bathroom she told me he had a crush on me.”

“…I guess that’s good news? He’s a nice guy.”

“Chrom, I hadn’t even noticed it! That’s so embarrassing! Like, all the times he helped me or listened to me rambling about my kaiju pieces… it wasn’t because he tried to be nice, it was because he has a crush on me! I’m so oblivious!”

“It’s a family trait!” Chrom laughed. After a few seconds, he calmed down and leaned on his elbows, tilting his head back to look at the ceiling “What are you planning to do then?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you going to give him a chance? Would you be interested in being maybe a bit more than friends with him?”

“You know that Maribelle is going to check his pedigree first?” Lissa snorted.

“I wouldn’t go that far, but I’m sure she’ll definitely do some background research!” Chrom chuckled.

“I can’t believe I asked her to third wheel us…Oh my Naga I feel so ashamed! How am I going to be able to look at him in the eyes now?”

“I’m pretty sure he never managed to do it in the first place.” He teased.

 

She nudged him, and he laughed again.

 

“You didn’t answer my question, though.”

“What question?”

“Are you interested in him?”

“I never thought about it…And we both have so much work to do…”

“Lissa.”

 

He stood up and faced her, arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

 

“You know it’s a stupid excuse as much as I do.”

“But-“

“You share the same lab” Chrom stated, counting on his fingers “you have the same age, and you need to have fun too. A relationship wouldn’t be too hard to handle.”

“You mean, without turning into a real disaster like you and Olivia?” She smirked.

“T-that’s not the point.” He mumbled, blushing.

“Oh, let’s talk about Robin then?”

“Lissa!”

“Gods, you’re so easy to tease!” She laughed.

\---

If it wasn’t a pedigree check, Ricken was sure going under one hell of an interrogation.

He had dreamt about sleeping in for months. Yet, someone had knocked on his door at 8 o’clock. Well, at least he had slept two hours more than the usual. He had opened his door, yawning, then blinked upon seeing Maribelle on his doorstep.

 

“Maribelle? Do you need something?”

“I need to talk to you.”

“Uh…does it have to be now now?”

 

She hadn’t left him the choice anyway. In a matter of minutes, he had found himself tidying his room in a hurry to receive her properly, offered her a seat, and quickly put on clothes; not necessarily in that order, of course. He apologised for not having anything to drink, and she waved her hand with a polite smile.

 

“So, what’s the matter?” He asked, sitting on his quickly made bed.

“Well” Maribelle started, crossing her legs and resting her hands on her knee “It has come to my knowledge that you appreciate Lissa.”

“I do?”

“I mean, more than a friend.”

 

Ricken blushed and remained silent. Of course she had noticed. He had spent the previous evening trying to get her approval every time he did or said something.

 

“I assume your silence means you won’t deny it.”

“I won’t.”

“Perfect.” She smiled “Now we can get to the second part.”

“Which is…?”

“Nothing important, just a few questions.”

 

            By few questions, she had meant _a lot_. From his frequentations to his education, his past relationships – he had none, for he was considered too “nerdy” by his high-school classmates – if he had ever got a girl pregnant or caught any STDs, what were his views on romantic relationships and family, or his ambitions for after the war, if it were to come to an end. If he had blushed or mumbled when answering some questions, she had looked completely unshakeable whenever she spoke. She had allowed herself a couple of smiles, which had made him suppose he scored points; however she had also frowned once or twice, making him shiver slightly.

At some point, she smiled, stood up and smoothed her clothes.

 

“Anyway, Lissa is going to wait for me. I should leave and let you rest.”

“Oh, okay.”

 

Ricken stood up as well, and opened the door to her. She walked out and waved at him with a playful smile.

 

“See you after lunch, Loverboy.”

 

The young man watched her go, the closed the door and leaned on it with a loud sigh. He rubbed his hands on his face, groaning. Why did he open that door? Why did he _even_ answer her? It was none of her business, wasn’t it? He pushed himself from the door and slumped on his bed, face first. He let out a new groan, then patted the wall to turn the light off, and buried himself under the covers.

He could say farewell to sleeping in.

\---

 

            Libra sighed and took off his stethoscope, while Virion looked at him intensely, his eyes shining.

 

“At this rate I’ll start to think you have tachycardia.”

“It only happens when I’m in your presence, dear Libra.”

 

            The doctor rolled his eyes and walked away. Virion was a strange guy, although nice. And a ladies’ man. What was more surprising was that despite he had explained to him that he was actually a man, the pilot had not given up on flirting with him. Well, he had not given up on flirting with every woman who came across his path either.

 

“Roll up your sleeve, I’m going to check your blood pressure.”

“Your wishes are my command.” Virion happily replied, rolling his sleeve as asked.

 

            They waited in silence until the blood pressure cuff released his arm with a distinctive beep.

 

“Fifteen, it’s a bit high.” The doctor concluded, then took the device off his arm “You might get headaches or ringing in your ears, so don’t force yourself, understood?”

“Understood.”

“Tell Zelcher to come for her check-up when you see her.”

“If I manage to find her, that is” Virion sighed dramatically “she disappeared with Frederick, as always. And I don’t even know if they’re together or not! Everytime I try to get answers, she closes her mind to me!”

“Which is quite understandable, in my opinion.”

“But drifting means we’re supposed to have no secrets for each other.” The pilot pouted.

“Well, this is the part of her life she wants to keep to herself, you can’t hold it against her. Can you stand please?”

 

            Virion grumbled and stood up from the auscultation table. Libra pulled a small lamp out of his pocket, and checked his eyes. Upon noticing they were bloodshot, he faintly pinched his lips and turned the light off. He advised him to not make detours again, for drifting for an extended amount of time could damage him and his partner; researchers had not had the time to do full tests for the pilots when they first came up with the Shepherd project, the priority was to have weapons to fight the enemy and be operational as soon as possible. Libra had been working on the health consequences of drifting for several years already, but there were still a lot of things left to discover. Long term impacts and long drifts were two of them.

\---

 

            Robin put her hands on her hips, breathless. Lon’zu was facing her, his hands on his knees, trying to get some air back into his lungs. They had been sparring since Olivia left them; first with their bare hands, as an exercise, trying to aim for the other’s shoulder. Then with staves, though Robin didn’t copy his fighting style this time.

 

“Can I ask you something?” she said between two breaths.

“Sure.” Lon’zu answered, lifting his head to look at her.

“Do you mind if we try drifting again today?”

 

Lon’zu frowned and remained silent for a couple of seconds, then stood up. He wasn’t sure it was a good idea. Robin was probably going to push herself to her limits, taking the risk to chase the R.A.B.B.I.T. again.

On the other hand, they had monsters to fight against, and they had to be ready for this eventuality. He sighed and rubbed his neck.

 

“Is Marshall Emmeryn okay with it?”

“I asked her, she’s fine with it.”

“So we have an exercise scheduled already?”

“Not really.”

 

Lon’zu raised an eyebrow.

 

“Not really?”

“Well, I’d rather not get in the Fell Dragon for now. I think we shouldn’t require Stahl’s attention when he should be focusing on keeping an eye on the Breach. I say Stahl but I mean everyone else as well of course… So I thought about borrowing a training drifting system.”

“Those still exist?”

 

Robin blinked, a bit surprised.

 

“…Because you don’t use them anymore?”

“We don’t, trainees use the simulator and try to improve their dexterity and reactivity. Finding a drifting partner comes after.”

“…Well it’s clear that things have changed. Drifting skills were the first things tested when one enrolled as a trainee.” She waved her hand “Anyway, I’ll get my hands on a training drifting system and we’ll see. There’s probably one gathering dust in the Shatterdome.”

 

            Lon’zu nodded with a hum. Robin grabbed her bottle of water and drank, then wiped her mouth with her forearm. This whole trainee thing bugged her; drifting was almost the most important asset in fighting a kaiju, how come they barely focused on it now? She had to ask Emmeryn about it.

 

“Robin?”

“Yes?” she replied, turning around to look at him.

“…Thank you for not giving up.” Lon’zu said, looking away and scratching his neck “I know it’s not easy for you… so…” he grumbled, unable to form a complete sentence “thanks for trusting me, I guess.”

 

            Robin smiled and walked to him. It was hard for him to express his feelings – they had to work _a lot_ on that – but he was trying anyway, and it pleased her. She patted his shoulder with a warm smile.

 

“Thank you for wanting to keep me as your copilot. A lot of people would have been terrified after… well, after having seen the things you saw in my head.”

 

            He nodded with a hum, and she moved her hand away. She took a step back and stretched with a small yawn. Lon’zu was about to say something when the door opened, making the two of them turn around.

Robin couldn’t help but smile upon seeing familiar blue hair.

 

“Good morning, Chrom.”

“Good morning.”

 

Lon’zu frowned and didn’t say a word. Chrom ignored him and looked at Robin.

 

“Have you seen Frederick, perhaps?”

“Frederick? I haven’t seen him since last night.”

“Last night?”

“The Minerva came back at four o’clock, you didn’t hear the alarm?” She asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I heard it, but I didn’t wake up.”

“Well, I saw Frederick at that moment. He wanted to check up on Zelcher.”

“Oh. Right. I won’t see him in a while then.” He stayed silent a few seconds, then shrugged “Well, I can still train without him.”

“Sure, come in!”

 

Lon’zu mumbled something and turned his back to him, walking to the edge of the training mat to his belongings. When Robin asked him what was wrong, he simply replied that he needed a shower, and that they’d meet up for lunch. He stayed at a safe distance from Chrom when leaving the room, and Robin sighed loudly.

She was starting to wonder if – whatever their problem was – it wasn’t better to let them fight once and for all, instead of giving each other killer looks. Well, Lon’zu did; Chrom seemed to avoid any kind of conflict by looking away.

It was about time to find out what was off between the two of them.

 

\----

 

            Cordelia was absentmindedly playing with her food, waiting for Sumia to get her tray. The romantic comedy they had watched together the previous evening had made her sigh more than she had originally thought. She really had to stop with this kind of movies, it made her dream of princess-like happy endings. Who could dream of a happy ending in the midst of a war against aliens?

           She shook her head. If she wanted a happy ending, not just for herself but for the entire humanity, she had to think positively. Giving up could not be tolerated. Her partner sat in front of her, and Cordelia smiled. Sumia was way more light-hearted and optimistic, with a permanent smile on her face. She was the one believing in happy endings no matter what.

 

“Uh…Excuse me, Cordelia…”

 

The pilot blinked, back from her daydreaming, and shook her head faintly before smiling.

 

“Yes?”

“Hi…” Olivia said, holding two jugs of water in each hand “I, uh, I’d like to do a little something after dinner tonight… Do you mind accompanying me? If you’re not too busy of course.”

“Sure, it’s been a while since I last played with you.”

“Thank you.”

 

            The young woman quickly nodded, and left. Cordelia observed her as she walked away, amazed by how gracefully she moved about between tables and people. Despite her shyness, Olivia was very charming; she was sure that if she had a bit more self-confidence, she could have anyone in the Shatterdome.

Well, the only man she actually had was the only one Cordelia didn’t want her to have. But she didn’t hold it against her.

            She focused back on Sumia when she heard her gasp in surprise. Lon’zu had just sat next to her without warning. Not exactly next to her actually, he was at a respectable distance. Robin was nowhere to be seen though.

 

“H-hello Lon’zu” Sumia mumbled. Lon’zu had always impressed her – if not scared – with his neutral face and his necessity to avoid all women on his path, except for Olivia and recently Robin.

“Hi”

“Hello” he mumbled back.

 

            The girls exchanged a glance, a bit puzzled. Why was he sitting down with them, when there was place left at Basilio’s table? Not that it bothered them in any way, it was just…. Unexpected.

            Olivia noticed his presence and waved at him, and he discreetly waved back at her. Cordelia was starting to understand; he was keeping an eye on her. Their table was in the middle of the mess, meaning that she and Nowi passed in front of them quite often, whereas Basilio’s table was next to a wall, at the end of the mess. Sumia started fidgeting with her fork, feeling a bit awkward. Cordelia rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.

 

“Anyway, how’s the training going Lon’zu?”

“Sorry?” He said, his eyes leaving Olivia to look at her.

“I was saying: how is it going with Robin?”

“We heard you had drifting problems with her?” Sumia added, feeling a bit more confident talking now Cordelia had initiated the conversation.

“She chased the R.A.B.B.I.T.” He replied. He actually made the effort of participating in the conversation, which made the girls smile.

“Well, it happens sometimes. Actually it’s very courageous of her to try drifting again.”

“And it’s very courageous of _you_ ,” Sumia said with a smile “to try drifting with her. A lot of pilots wouldn’t have wanted to feel her memories.”

“Thank you, I guess...”

“Is she okay?” Cordelia asked.

“Libra kept her under observation for a while, but now she’s feeling a bit better she wants to try out a training drifting system this afternoon. We trained together this morning” He raised an eyebrow “I didn’t see you though.”

“Oh, well” Sumia stuttered, scratching her neck “We don’t always use the training room.”

“Actually we don’t spar, or not only.”

 

Lon’zu raised an eyebrow, and Cordelia continued.

 

“We do physical exercise though, but in a softer way.”

“We do yoga together.” Sumia concluded “It helps with synchronisation, and also improves trust through exercises that can be done in pairs.”

“I have also heard that dancing with your copilot helps too, but we haven’t tried that technique yet.”

“I trip over my own feet, how do you want me to dance without falling?” Sumia chuckled.

 

            Lon’zu blinked several times. He had never thought about using other methods than fighting to strengthen his bond with his partner – which was kind of obvious, since the purpose of the said bond was to fight side by side – let alone yoga and dancing. All of the pilots of the Shatterdome had known their partner for years, some even grew up with theirs. But he knew nothing about Robin except her reputation. He had not been drifting with her for long enough to actually get to know her.

 

“That’s… I never thought about it.” he admitted “By the way…” He continued, scratching his neck “have you known each other for long?”

“We’re childhood friends, why?” Cordelia asked.

“Uh, well… it’s the case for almost everyone here…”

“You’re worried that you won’t drift well with her because you don’t know her personally?” Sumia said, resting her chin on her hand.

“More or less, yeah…”

 

Cordelia took Sumia’s tray and put it on hers as she stood up.

 

“You know, Lon’zu, there are plenty of ways to get to know her. And not only through conversation, if talking makes you nervous, although it still remains the best way to do it.”

 

            She walked away to drop off the trays. Sumia fidgeted with her hands and spoke more softly.

 

“You can… for example…Well, Cordelia and I like to watch movies together. We listen to music together too… We share a lot of memories, but you don’t need that to learn what she likes or not, for example.”

 

Lon’zu hummed in agreement, and let his gaze wander on the crowded mess, before focusing back on Olivia. If someone could help him, it definitely was her.

 

\---

 

            Stahl yawned loudly as he brought Sully a cup of hot coffee. She took it without looking at him and mumbled a small “thanks”, while frowning intensely at her screen. He sank into his chair with a sigh and crossed his arms behind his head.

 

“Still nothing new?”

“No. There is activity around the Breach but no sign of a kaiju yet.”

“You should stop staring at your screen like that, you’ll ruin your eyesight.”

“I’m fine.”

“Also, since I’m back, you can get rest. I’ll keep an eye on the Breach, you’ve barely slept for the past 24 hours. I’ll call you if I need you.”

 

Sully pinched her lips, hesitating. He was right; she had dark circles under her eyes and was slightly hypersensitive due to the lack of sleep. Drinking almost only coffee didn’t help either. But on the other hand, she was sure a kaiju would appear the second she would take her gaze away from the computer.

 

“Sully.”

“Alright” she gave in “But you’d better call me whenever something goes wrong, or I swear I’ll kick your ass.”

“Roger that!”

 

She stood up and started walking towards the door, before he called her again. She turned around, and saw him holding his hand out to her.

 

“You’re not intending to drink coffee right before taking a nap I suppose?”

“…Oh, right” she handed it to him with a bit of regret “I’ll be back at five.”

 

Stahl made a gesture of the hand, already turning his back to her as he started drinking her coffee nonchalantly. The young woman left the room, and he put the cup down on the table with a disgusted face.

How was she even able to drink coffee without sugar or cream?

\--

 

            Ricken wiped his hands on his trousers and took a deep breath. He hoped it wouldn’t be too awkward for him to face Lissa – and above all Maribelle – but it wasn’t like he could avoid them; he had to get back to work after all. With a bit of chance, they weren’t back from lunch yet, which would allow him to run and hide in his part of the lab, in hope to be forgotten.

So when he saw the two scientists lifting their heads to look at him when he opened the door, he tried his best to not look too embarrassed. He wasn’t sure if he was happy to see Lissa or if he wanted to disappear forever.

 

“H-hi” he managed to mutter with a small move of the hand.

“Good afternoon, Ricken” Maribelle said with an innocent smile.

 

            Lissa looked at him, and her face turned entirely red. She blinked and cleared her throat, before greeting him in a casual manner – or so she hoped – and pretended to focus back on her work. Ricken scratched his neck and walked in silence to the adjacent room.

As soon as he closed the door, Lissa let her head fall on her table loudly with a muffled squeal.

 

“That’s it. I can’t unsee now. For Naga’s sake, Maribelle, why did you tell me about this?”

“Because I like to see your flustered blushing face” her friend stated without hesitation.

“I don’t know if you want my happiness or my death sometimes.”

“Lissa dear, I only want the best for you.”

 

The young girl pouted, then turned her face to the side with a small sigh.

 

“Say…”

“Yes dear?”

“Should I date him?”

“It is your decision to make” Maribelle replied, taking a cloth to clean one of the containers “It’s your life after all.”

“Yeah but what do you think?”

“Well, I guess you have to weigh up the pros and cons. What’s important is to feel good and respected, and to not force yourself.”

“Yeah but what do you think of _him_?”

“Oh, that.” She said, turning around to smirk at her “All I can say is that he’s more than decent. You have my approval, if that’s what you wanted to hear.”

“I don’- I don’t need your approval!” Lissa stuttered “I just… I wanted to hear your opinion.”

“My opinion is that he’s a fine young man, and that you do not owe him anything. So if you’re not interested, don’t go for it.” She smiled brightly “It’s not like he didn’t know I would avenge you if he were to hurt you though.”

“You’re terrifying when you smile like this while you’re definitely planning a murder.” Lissa said with a small laugh.

“Am I? My bad.”

 

Lissa remained silent a few seconds. She closed her eyes tried to remember the first time she had seen him. The first impression was the most important one, wasn’t it? She had been working on the Shepherd project for almost a year when Emmeryn had walked in the lab, followed by Ricken, to announce that Miriel would have an assistant from now on. She recalled him looking at the lab as if he had stepped into some sort of parallel dimension, then asked her about the kaiju bits in the containers. He seemed genuinely curious about them, and she had gladly told him about them, before Emmeryn had shown him his part of the lab.

It was during lunch that they found the time to chat more properly. About their jobs and what they were doing before joining the project, a bit about their hobbies also. He had told her there was a pilot named Chrom that he admired a lot; his surprised face when she had revealed he was her brother had been priceless. And cute. Yeah, she remembered finding him cute.

Lissa grumbled and sat up a bit to pass her hands on her face with a groan. She hated acting like a middle-schooler – unable to unsee now that she knew what he thought of her, while she had clearly better stuff to do like _saving the world_ \- yet she couldn’t help it.

 

“Alright, I think we’ll have to talk.”

“Excuse me dear? I couldn’t hear you clearly” Maribelle hummed with a smile.

“I think… I think I have to talk to him. Like, it’s going to drive me crazy if it goes on like this.”

“Come on, it’s only been like, twelve hours since I told you about it.”

“I knoooow but I don’t want things to be awkward between us!”

“Well darling,” Maribelle said with a shrug “you know what you have to do.”

 

            On the other hand, Ricken didn’t know what to do. As soon as he had closed the door, he had leant against it with a desperate sigh. Miriel did not even bother looking at him, cleaning one of the blackboard to get rid of unnecessary formulas.

 

“Good afternoon, Ricken.”

“Good afternoon.” He replied without conviction.

“I hoped you would show a bit more enthusiasm, now we found the answers we needed.”

“Yeah, sorry… How was your morning off?”

“I finished that book I had bought months ago, I never found the time to do it. How about you? How did your evening go?”

 

Ricken pinched his lips and sat on a tool, fidgeting with his hands. It went well in a way; or more like, it didn’t go wrong.

 

“It was nice. We went to a Chon’sin restaurant with the girls.”

“Did you manage to convey your feelings to Lissa?”

“First, it’s a weird way to say it, and secondly I couldn’t do that with Maribelle staring at me on purpose. She also woke me up this morning for a police interrogation.”

 

Miriel barely held back a smile and turned around to drop the rag they used to clean the blackboards on the table.

 

“I suppose she is worried about her friend.”

“I can barely talk to her without stammering, I’m not sure I look frightening.”

“Well, sometimes innocent-looking boys turn out to be complete idiots, I understand her attitude somehow. At least I try to.” She grabbed some paper with a pencil and handed it to him “So Lissa still doesn’t know about it?”

“She doesn’t… Maybe it’s better like that.”

 

Miriel rolled her eyes with a sigh.

 

\--

 

            Lon’zu almost bumped into Cordelia as he opened the door of his room. He instinctively took a step back and she rubbed the back of her neck in embarrassment.

 

“Uh, you needed something?” Lon’zu mumbled.

“A-actually yes, I thought you would be interested in this.” She stepped aside to show him a cart; on top of it was an old-looking machine, with two helmets, and cables hanging down here and there. He raised an eyebrow, slightly puzzled. Cordelia smiled.

“You said you and Robin wanted to use a drifting system today. I thought I’d better go fetch it for you, since she doesn’t know the place very well and you probably didn’t know where it was either.”

“Indeed, thank you. You didn’t need to do it though.” He cleared his throat “Is there something you’d like me to do in return?”

“No no, it’s okay really!”

 

He didn’t answer and raised an eyebrow.

 

“Fine, I’ll tell you if I need something.” She groaned “Where are you going to use it?”

“In the training room, Robin wanted to use it where someone could intervene if something goes wrong.”

“I see. Let’s head there then.”

 

            She pushed the tray and started walking away. Lon’zu quickly closed the door of his room and followed her, then – it was quite an effort – gently put his hands on the handle, softly nudging her aside. She let it go and crossed her arms behind her back, walking in silence by his side.

            She didn’t know what to say. Maybe there wasn’t anything to say. Lon’zu wasn’t the type of person who made small talk after all. She observed him from the corner of the eye. He was looking ahead, his brow furrowed and jaw slightly clenched. He was tensed, given how the muscles of his arms contracted. He noticed she was looking at him and turned to her.

 

“Do I have something on my face?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

 

Lost in her thoughts, Cordelia needed a second to come back to her senses. It was completely stupid, but she liked the line his eyebrows made with that curious expression. It reminded her of Chrom.

 

“I…Uh, no, nothing. I was…lost in my thoughts.”

 

He looked at her a couple seconds more, searching for something in her eyes – or so she thought, wasn’t he supposed to be scared of her? – then focused on their path again. She couldn’t help but blush a bit. Unlike Chrom’s, his eyes were dark brown and sharp. If she had to be objective, Lon’zu was very nice-looking from up close.

_Wait, what?_

 

            Fortunately for Cordelia, the door of the training room was within sight. She walked in front of him to open the door and held it for him. Lon’zu thanked her as he brought the cart in, and pushed to a corner of the room. He came back to her and smiled faintly.

 

“Thank you, Cordelia.”

 

Gods, what a nice smile.

 

“You’re welcome” she replied, smiling back to hide her embarrassment “Tell me how the drift goes with Robin.”

“Sure. And don’t forget I owe you one.”

“I’ll think of something, I promise.”

 

They remained silent a second or two, until she cleared her throat and looked away.

 

“Anyway, I should get going. Sumia’s waiting for me.”

“Okay. See you later then.”

 

            He turned around and walked back to the cart. She scratched her neck then left the room, walking a bit faster than she should be.

She really, _really_ , had to stop with romantic comedies.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a link to the song Lissa and Chrom are listening to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSMY2CVjCZA  
> I don't know where the ships are going but they are going for sure.


	9. Elastic Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrom burst into laughter. A true, wholehearted laugh, that made his body tense and his head tilt back. He had not expected the remark, and he had easily imagined the scene; Robin screaming as he threw her back inside with a dramatic pose. She lifted her head and chuckled as well, and soon joined him in his fit of laughter. Trapped in her coat, they had to remain close to each other, sharing their warmth and laughs.

Robin took a deep breath and sat down, cross-legged, in front of Lon’zu. He was nervous, his right knee bouncing in apprehension and faintly bit the corner of his lip. She gave him a smile that she wanted reassuring despite her obvious unease. She took his hands and inhaled again.

 

“Alright. Are you sure you want to do it again?”

“Yes. Are you?”

“I’m kind of an obstinate person” she smirked “I won’t let my brain win.”

 

He smiled back at her and she let his hands go to look at Frederick, leaning against the wall a few metres further.

 

“We’re ready.”

 

He nodded and came closer, kneeling so he could help them put their helmets on. Cordelia had left before Lon’zu could ask her if she could help them with their drift, and Robin had run on Frederick while he was making his way to the training room. There was no sign of Chrom, to her disappointment.

The pilot had agreed to keep an eye on them during their drift, to make sure both of them would remain safe if they were to get out of the line.

Robin arranged the helmet on her head and took Lon’zu’s hands again, squeezing them faintly without thinking.

 

“Are you ready?” Frederick asked.

“Yes.” Robin replied, her eyes locked in her partner’s. He nodded with a hum.

 

Frederick pressed the button, and there was a flash.

 

_She saw Lon’zu and Olivia tickling each other like children. Zelcher’s back. The alarm at 3:47AM. Chrom hugging her gently to calm her sobs. Drifting through the void. Her high pitched scream when the cold water of the shower hit her bare skin. Losing herself in her thoughts, observing the thousands of metres under her feet on the Wall. Kissing her mother goodnight. The swing in the park behind their house. Black hair. A child’s laugh. A building collapsing. Olivia dancing. Basilio’s hand on his shoulder. Anger. Hopelessness._

_A new flash._

Both gasped, and she squeezed his hand harder. Lon’zu opened his eyes, breathing fast, and looked at her. Robin smiled at gently him, trying to remain calm.

 

_It’s okay, Lon’zu. Keep concentrating. Do not let the memories rush in yet._

“Then what…?” he grunted.

“Focus on what’s happening right now.”

 

She laced their fingers and he tensed a bit. _Too close._ She giggled, but kept his hand in hers.

 

“Perfect. Focus on the feeling of your hand.”

 

He took a new breath and closed his eyes. _Warmth. Softness. His heart beating a bit faster. Her hand feeling small in his. Roughness._

“I can’t tell which are my thoughts and which are yours, to be honest.” He said with an amused smile.

“Well, we’re one brain now, sort of. So why bother?” She replied with a giggle.

“What if we see something that makes us think different things?”

 

 _Chrom._ Robin grunted. Of course the first example that had come to her mind was him. _Anger. Jealousy. Curiosity. Blue hair. Olivia crying. The top of the Shatterdome. Looking for him in the crowd. Glaring at him in front of the infirmary._ She raised an eyebrow.

 

“You met him in front of the infirmary?”

“…I came to check on you and he was there.” He admitted, then raised an eyebrow “And you cried in his arms.”

“Not my moment of glory” she said with a giggle.

 

To change the subject, she showed him her memory of their first encounter. _How awkward she had felt in Tharja’s presence_ – to witch he responded with a memory a couple of months before, when he had met her – _her nervousness, and Phila trying to calm her down. How pleasantly surprised she had been when they had played chess together. How much fun she had had when fighting against him, and his priceless expression when he had understood she had copied his technique._

_That’s something we should do again, in my opinion. I mean, playing chess._

_Why not? I just have to keep the rules in mind._

She smiled brightly at him, and he smiled back gently. They were getting used to each other, and it felt less and less difficult to concentrate on the drift.

 

“I think we’re doing pretty good for now, don’t you think?”

“I agree.”

 

He faintly brushed his thumb on her hand, his eyes shining.

 

_Thank you, Robin._

\---

 

Emmeryn did not turn around when she heard the faint knock on the door of her office.

 

“Come in.”

“Hi Emm” Lissa said, passing her head through the door “are you busy right now?”

“I always am.” Her sister replied with a small smile.

“I mean, with someone” Lissa completed, glancing around the room “Which isn’t the case. Well, since you didn’t show up at the mess for lunch, I brought you food.”

 

She pushed the door with her foot and walked in, with two trays wrapped in cellophane in her hands. She put them on her desk and smiled proudly at her.

 

“Look how great your sister is!”

“I can see that.” Emmeryn said, walking to the door to close it “do you want to eat somewhere else?”

“Nah, I’m fine here.”

 

The scientist took a chair and brought it closer to the desk, while Emmeryn sat next to her. She didn’t want to sit on the other side, on her giant chair; she needed to have her sibling close.

 

“What about Chrom?”

“He ate already.”

“Next time then.” Emmeryn said with a smile.

“…It’s good to see you smile. I thought you had forgotten how to do it.”

“Trust me,” she sighed “sometimes I feel like it’s the case.”

 

They unwrapped their food in silence; Lissa struggled and ended up tearing the cellophane in two, while Emmeryn took her time opening it.

 

“So, how far did you go with Ricken? Did your date go well?”

“What the-?!?!?” Lissa gasped, turning entirely red “H-how do you know about it??”

“Oh, so you went far with him?” Emmeryn said, smirking a bit.

“I didn’t!!!!” The young girl hid her face in her hands, muffling her words “Dear Naga why does everyone but me keeps on noticing stuff???”

“I did not notice. Well, actually I did notice the way he looks at you. But don’t forget I’m the boss here, I know everything that happens in my base.”

“You creepy Big Brother.” Lissa pouted.

“I prefer the term Big Sister, if you don’t mind.”

“Fuck you, Maribelle.” She grunted, shoving a forkful of pasta into her mouth.

“Oh, actually, Maribelle isn’t the one who told me about it.”

“Then who…?”

“It’s a secret.” Emmeryn replied with a mysterious smile.

 

\---

 

“Have you seen the kids today?”

“Basilio, they’re not teenagers anymore. It’s about time you stop calling them “the kids”.” Flavia said without looking at him, too busy turning their TV and video-game console on.

“They’re still my kids, I don’t care how old they might be.” He pouted.

 

She rolled her eyes and handed him a game controller, then sat down, her back leaning on the bed, while he was sitting cross-legged on the mattress. They waited until the loading screen appeared.

 

“So, to answer your question, I saw both of them at the mess today.”

“So Lon’zu was there? I didn’t see him, I thought he had skipped lunch.”

“Nah, he was sitting at the middle tables with Cordelia and Sumia.”

 

Basilio raised an eyebrow. It was uncommon for his son to sit at a table of women without being forced to, unless they were in his private circle – which consisted in three people – let alone the Pegasus Knights whom he had barely spoken to before. Flavia glanced at him and smirked faintly.

 

“Quite strange, huh? It surprised me too.”

“Honestly, I don’t know if I should be pleasantly surprised or think he’s gotten sick. Maybe the drift blew his brain.” He then made an exploding sound, waving his hands, careful not to drop his game controller.

“Maybe. But I think he was just keeping an eye on Olivia.” Flavia replied, selecting her character and waiting for him to do the same.

“She had the potential to become a pilot, she just chose not to.”

“I don’t think it has something to do with this, actually.”

“Has he ever been this protective with her since he joined the Shepherd program?”

“Excuse me? Do I have to remind you how many times he got in fights at school for her?” She snorted.

“And she could have kicked those guys’ butts on her own, I gave them the same education.”

 

Flavia remained silent a few seconds. He chose his character and launched the game.

 

“I think the void the death of his family has left is too big for him. He sees in her the little sister he has lost. Who knows, maybe his parents had told him to protect her no matter what. Family is an important matter in Chon’sin.”

“Nice observation, Sherlock.” She teased.

 

Basilio rolled his eyes with a grunt.

 

\---

 

After his fiftieth push-up, Chrom lied down on the floor of his room, enjoying its coldness against his body, taking deep breaths and waiting for his heartbeat to come back to a normal rhythm. It took him five minutes to manage to sit up and drag himself to his bathroom to take a well deserved shower. He had not found Frederick, but he had run into Zelcher who was on her way to the infirmary; and as expected, she knew exactly where he was. Apparently Robin and Lon’zu had decided to try drifting again, using one of those old machines they used to have back on his trainee days, and Frederick was there to supervise them.

            And as much as he wanted to go – damn, _craved_ to go - , he knew it would be a bad idea. He did believe in Robin. But getting in Lon’zu’s field of vision could be dangerous. He turned the water off with a sigh and got out of the shower.

 

            He never got the chance to explain what had happened. What Lon’zu saw was that he had hurt Olivia, and that was everything that had mattered to him. He had tried to tell him several times, but had given up kind of quickly, and hoped he would someday forgive him and maybe talk him through it. But if even his own sister couldn’t have managed to it, there were few chances he would settle the problem himself.

 

            Chrom yawned and stretched his arms and back; he needed fresh air and a bit of sun. He picked his trousers from the floor and put them on, with a black long-sleeved t-shirt from his closet. Grabbing his phone, he left his room without turning back and headed to the top of the Shatterdome. He whistled a random tune, greeting the people he met with a happy nod, and losing himself in his thoughts.

 

            In less than ten minutes, he was sitting on the metallic roof of the Shatterdome, closing his eyes and listening to the sound of the sea. Back when his family lived in Ylisstol, going to the sea was only a summer-holidays event; it was something he used to wait for all year long. When his parents had died, he and his sisters had had less occasions to go on summer trips. Emmeryn had to take care of her family after all. Frederick had helped them of course: Chrom knew that their lives would not have been the same without him.

            The sound of the door downstairs closing pulled him from his reverie, and he turned around. It was certainly Lissa coming to get him, and he smiled as he heard footsteps on the ladder.

 

“Still good at hide and seek, I see.”

“Oh well, my mother used to let me win kind of easily.” Robin replied, appearing from the exit and crossing her arms on the edge of the roof, her feet still on the ladder. She smiled gently at him “I knew I’d find you here.”

“Oh, uh, h-hi Robin.” Chrom stammered, taken by surprise.

“Can I join you?”

“Y-yeah, sure!”

 

            She smiled more and finished climbing up. She was wearing a long black coat with purple eyes embroidered on its sleeves, the same way it was on the Fell Dragon. It looked warm, and Chrom realised he should have brought a jacket as well. She carefully walked to him and sat next to him, closing her eyes, her lips still stretched in a happy smile. He glanced at her, then looked at the sea again in attempt to control the burning sensation of his cheeks.

 

“I tried drifting with Lon’zu today.” Robin stated after a while.

“How did it go?”

“Kinda well. I managed to get him used to my presence in his head. We avoided memories though, just in case.”

“I see…” Chrom said, still looking at the sea “You focused on your surroundings I suppose?”

“Yup, the same way we did back then.” She looked at him “By the way, how come trainees don’t try drifting before getting into a Shepherd? I mean, Lon’zu didn’t even know what a training drifting system was.”

“Economic reasons apparently. Research and formation cost too much.”

“Yeah, they preferred putting all their efforts and money in a paper wall.” She snorted.

Chrom laughed “Indeed! But yeah, I heard they stopped producing Shepherds as well…”

“…Wow.”

“Yeah… But Emmeryn hasn’t confirmed anything yet so…”

“I think it might be the case.” Robin said, leaning on her hands and looking at the sky.

“Why?”

“Why would she come for me then? She could have found anyone to pilot the Fell  Dragon. I think she needs someone who already knows how to do the job.”

“You’re not wrong…”

 

They stayed silent a few moments. When the wind blew harder, he shivered a bit and rubbed his hands on his arms. She raised an eyebrow and took her coat off, then snuggled closer to him and wrapped the cloth over them, before tying the sleeves together. Chrom blushed hard, especially when she rested her head on his shoulder with a pleased sigh.

 

“It would be a pity if the Exalt had to stay in the garage because one of its pilots caught a cold.” She giggled.

“I like how you talk about Shepherds as if they were bikes instead of giant alien-killing robots.” He said with a small chuckle.

 

They laughed together, and after a few seconds of wavering, Chrom hesitantly rested his head against hers. He felt her shifting against him, and tensed faintly when her hand found her way on his back. He did his best to gather some courage, and put his hand on her shoulder to bring her closer. Robin smiled faintly and closed her eyes.

 

“It’s so appeasing to be with you…”

“Ah…?” He muttered, clearing his throat.

“Yes… Staying with you makes me feel calm.”

“That’s because of the scenery.” He chuckled.

“Maybe…”

 

They stayed silent a few seconds, until he spoke again.

 

“Don’t fall asleep on me, I wouldn’t know how to bring you back down.”

“Just throw me in the hole.” She snorted.

 

Chrom burst into laughter. A true, wholehearted laugh, that made his body tense and his head tilt back. He had not expected the remark, and he had easily imagined the scene; Robin screaming as he threw her back inside with a dramatic pose. She lifted her head and chuckled as well, and soon joined him in his fit of laughter. Trapped in her coat, they had to remain close to each other, sharing their warmth and laughs.

When they calmed down, she settled on his shoulder again, he held her close – more naturally this time – and looked at the sea again. He phone buzzed in her pocket, and she lazily took it to unlock it. It was a text from Lon’zu.

 

“Ah... Duty calls.”

“Oh… See you later then?”

“Yup.”

 

            She wriggled her way out of the coat – already regretting the warmth of his embrace – and kissed his cheek before going to the ladder and climbing back down, leaving a very flustered and very blushing Chrom behind. She didn’t look back at him, and once down and out, she closed the door and leaned against it, hiding her burning red face in her hands.

 

_What the hell girl????_

\---

 

            Zelcher gently knocked on the door of the infirmary, then walked in. Libra lifted his eyes from his computer, where he was making statistics of Virion’s tests, and smiled at her.

 

“Hello, Zelcher. I was wondering if I had to come to fetch you myself.”

“You know I always come for my check up.”

“Indeed.” He stood up and showed her the auscultation table “Would you mind taking a seat then?”

 

            She obliged, and took her shoes off, while he pulled a tray with all of his auscultation instruments closer. He started by checking her heartbeat and pulse, her blood pressure, her reflexes, then her ocular responsiveness and the aspect of her eyes.

 

“How did you handle the drift?” Libra asked, making her lie down and applying a tourniquet on her arm.

“Quite well, I think. I’m just extremely tired.” She giggled “And glad Virion finally left my head. He’s already very talkative, but trust me, being in his head is worse.”

“I believe you on this,” Libra said with a smile “he can be quite a show sometimes.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I like him. It’s just that I like to enjoy some silence once in a while.”

“I know that. Or at least I can try to understand.” He said, tapping her arm to make her veins stand out. “Anything else?”

“Except being tired and hungry, not really.” She replied, focusing on the white ceiling to not look at the syringe the doctor was preparing meticulously. “But I took a shower and went to bed as soon as I came back, so that makes ten hours of sleep already.”

“Which is good.” Libra commented, inserting the needle under her skin as gently as possible – she didn’t even tense – and started drawing a blood sample.

 

            Unlike Virion who always whined every time he saw a needle, she didn’t complain about injections and blood tests. It sure wasn’t enjoyable, but it rarely hurt. On the other hand, what made her anxious were anaesthetics; the idea of completely losing consciousness terrified her – especially since she was used to an over-conscious state due to drifting – and it had been a pain to convince her to have her wisdom teeth removed a decade before.

 

“Now I think of it,” Zelcher said once he pulled the needle out and put cotton wool on her arm with sticking plaster “I’ve felt a bit nauseous recently.”

“Did you throw up?”

“I almost did during the drift, but it passed.”

“Alright, I take note of this.”

 

            Libra put the blood sample in a circular machine, connected to his computer, and cleaned his instruments while she sat up and put her shoes back on. After a couple of minutes, the device beeped to indicate the analysis was done. Libra sat in front of his screen and looked closely at the results, his chin resting on his hand and frowning faintly. She waited in silence, rearranging her clothes.

 

“Everything seems to be normal. I mean, not different than the post-drifting results we usually get.”

“That’s good news.” Zelcher commented.

 

           The doctor nodded without looking at her, then frowned more before raising an eyebrow curiously. His face brightened up as seconds passed, until he looked at her with a warm smile and a shining light in his eyes.

 

“I think I might have found the cause of your nausea.”

 

\---

 

            Lon’zu was pretty sure he had heard chattering from the other side of the door. Olivia wasn’t the type to receive a lot of guests when she wasn’t working, and he was fairly sure it was not Flavia’s voice he had heard. Puzzled but also slightly curious, he knocked anyways, then took a step back and cleared his throat. His sister opened a few seconds later, then smiled at him.

 

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Who is it, Olivia?” Someone asked from inside.

“It’s Lon’zu.” The young woman replied, opening the door wide.

 

            Cordelia and Sumia were there, sitting at the table with cupcakes and mugs of tea. There was also a guitar against the bed, with music sheets on the floor. The red haired girl waved at him with a bright smile, while her partner timidly nodded. Before he could step away, Olivia grabbed him by the arm and pulled him inside.

 

“Come on! Don’t stay at the doorstep! I’ll give you a cup of tea.”

“I-It’s fine, I don’t want to disturb…”

“You’re not disturbing, come on, sit down.”

 

            She gave him an insisting look and he sighed in defeat. He sat on the edge of the bed, avoiding looking at the girls by staring at the posters on the wall. Olivia rolled her eyes and poured him a cup of tea.

 

“So… Hum… What were you doing before I came?” He mumbled, scratching his neck.

“We were practicing with Cordelia for tonight.” Olivia stated, handing him the cup.

“Oh? You’re doing it tonight?”

“It’s been a while after all.” Cordelia said with a playful smile “My guitar had started growing leaves.”

“And Sumia is there to encourage us!”

 

            Lon’zu smiled at Olivia’s enthusiasm, and started sipping his tea. Peach flavoured, her favourite. He had given her a box of that tea for her 16th birthday, and she had not stopped drinking it after that.

            All these memories with her… He frowned. He remembered such trivial things about his adoptive sister, and yet he could barely recall his mother’s face. He had not paid attention before – he didn’t like to dwell in the past – but he couldn’t help but feel bad about it. After all, wasn’t he the last member of his family? He had to carry their legacy.

A small part of him hoped that wherever they were, his parents and Ke’ri were proud of him.

 

“Are you okay, Lon’zu?” Olivia asked.

“Yeah, I was just thinking about something.” He tried to smile at her, in hope the look of worry on her face would fade “So tell me, are you ready for tonight?”

“We are, and we won’t show you.” She replied, crossing her arms.

“Alright, I won’t insist.” He said, lifting his hands in defeat, careful of not dropping the mug.

“How did your drift with Robin go?” Cordelia asked, resting her chin on her hand.

 

He remained silent a second, choosing his words.

 

“It is a strange sensation… But it went well.”

“Did you manage to find your lost memories?” His sister asked.

“I haven’t tried yet. We focused on keeping the drift stable.”

“I supposed you’ve tried basic exercises like holding hands?” Sumia enquired.

“We have.” He said, absentmindedly starting to fidget with his hands “It’s very strange to not be able to make the difference between my thoughts and hers.”

“You get used to it, eventually.” Cordelia shrugged.

“Yeah, but we’re childhood friends, it’s not the same.” Her partner commented “It’s not like it bothered us, since we’ve always been told we’re the same.”

“You’re not wrong.”

 

Olivia sat next to him and nudged him with a smile.

 

“It went well, and that’s the most important.”

 

He smiled gently at her, and nodded. He finished his cup of tea in one go, then stood up and put it on the table. Cordelia instinctively moved her hands away from it and put them on her lap, looking down.

 

“Anyway, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you at dinner then.”

“Alright!” The waitress said, standing up to open the door. “See you later then.”

 

Lon’zu mumbled a goodbye to Sumia and Cordelia, and gently grabbed Olivia’s nape as he passed by her to pull her closer, and kissed her forehead. She giggled and hugged him before letting him go. She waved him goodbye as he stepped out, then closed the door with a happy hum.

 

“Hum…” Sumia said, clearing her throat.

“Something wrong?”

“It’s… How should I say that…” she started “Isn’t it awkward?”

“What’s awkward?” Olivia asked, tilting her head to the side “I don’t get it.”

“You and Lon’zu… Are really close.”

“He’s my brother???”

 

            Olivia’s genuinely confused face made the pilots chuckle. Sumia waved her hand, hiding her mouth with the other.

 

“Nevermind nevermind.”

“No, I want to understand!” The young woman pouted.

“It’s the fact Lon’zu acts completely differently around you” Cordelia explained, crossing her arms “he’s all sweet and cuddly with you, but he tenses every time someone other than Flavia and you talks to him.”

“You should have seen him during lunch, he was sitting at least a metre away from me!” Sumia completed.

“Oh, I see. Well, we were both orphans and we spent more than half of our lives together, I guess that’s why we’re so close now.”

“To be honest, he was rather cute when he kissed you…”

 

            Olivia and Sumia stared at Cordelia in silence, and the young woman waved her hands, her face as red as her hair.

 

“I-I mean…!”

“I almost feel betrayed here.” The waitress said with a jaded expression.

“We were supposed to be the Chrom Fan Club!” Sumia added with a shocked face.

“First, I prefer the term “Defense Squad”, and secondly I just said he was cute!” Cordelia mumbled, looking away and crossing her arms again.

 

The two women looked at each other for a couple of seconds, then burst into laughter, making the pilot groan in embarrassment.

 

“It’s not funny!!”

 

\--

 

“I brought coffee for my lil’ scientists!”

 

Lissa and Maribelle lifted their heads simultaneously, and saw Gregor standing at the door, holding four cups of coffee with a bright smile. Lissa pulled her mask down with a happy grin.

 

“Thanks Gregor! I really needed it!!”

“Just put everything on the table over there” Maribelle said, taking her gloves off “So you don’t have to hold those burning cups anymore.”

 

The cook obliged and put the coffee on the steel table, then grabbed a stool and sat on it, whistling. Lissa quickly covered her current dissection and stepped back, stretching her back with a loud yawn. Her assistant grabbed a sponge to clean the table, just in case, and spoke without looking at her partner.

 

“Lissa?”

“Yup?”

“Can you go get Miriel and Ricken while I finish cleaning?”

“Uh…yeah, sure.” She answered hesitantly, but went to the other room nonetheless.

“What’s wrong with the lil’ miss?” Gregor whispered to Maribelle once she was far enough to not be heard.

“There’s a certain someone who makes her nervous…” She replied with a playful smile.

“Oh, I see!” He laughed “Youngsters an’ love! That’s right, ya better enjoy it now, before ya grow ol’ like me!”

“Oh, I’m pretty sure you can still find mature women who would enjoy your company.”

“The only company I get is Nowi’s and Olivia’s. I’m not complainin’ though!” He said, laughing again.

 

            The mathematicians did not hear Lissa’s knock on the door, working frantically on their new formulas and statistics. Miriel dictated the equations, arms crossed and frowning slightly, while Ricken was writing as fast as he could on the blackboards, in precarious equilibrium on a ladder. The blond girl walked in silently, observing him. If she had to be honest, she was slightly worried that he would fall. He tended to be clumsy sometimes. She took a few steps and stood next to Miriel, who glanced at her from the corner of the eye before focusing back on the writings on the boards. Once Ricken finished writing the last formula, Miriel turned to Lissa.

 

“May I help you, Lissa?”

“L-Lissa?!” Ricken gasped. He had been definitely unaware of her presence during all this time. The surprise made him lose balance, but he miraculously managed to hold on tight to the ladder to not fall “H-Hey Lissa! I-I didn’t know you were here!”

 

 _Dear Naga._ She was doomed. She took a breath and smiled to hide her embarrassment. Why did she find him dorky?

 

“Gregor brought us coffee, I came to fetch you.”

“I wouldn’t say no to some caffeine.” Miriel nodded.

“Give me a second, I’m coming down!” The young man said, climbing down the ladder. Once standing safely on the ground, he dusted his clothes to get rid of the chalk.

 

Maribelle and Gregor were still chatting when they came back to the laboratory, Miriel walling ahead. Ricken kept on glancing at Lissa, and so did she, until their eyes met and they looked away in embarrassment. He scratched his neck and cleared his throat, while she pinched her lips. Maribelle noticed them and rolled her eyes; why did they look like awkward teenagers? Was it that hard to behave like adults and discuss their feelings?

Gregor stood up and walked to Ricken to pass an arm around his shoulders and ruffled his hair with a loud laugh.

 

“Hi kiddo!!!”

“Gregor, I’m not a child anymore!!” Ricken pouted, as the cook dragged him to the table, still laughing.

 

            Lissa held back a giggle and followed them. Gregor had unofficially adopted Ricken on his first day in the Shatterdome, when he had noticed this scrawny young man looking around in amazement, trying to process all the information given by Phila. He had seen in that boy the son he had never had, somehow. Maybe it was because of the hair color. Or maybe because he reminded Gregor of himself at the same age.

           

            They all sat at the table, and Lissa ended up sitting next to Ricken by coincidence – or so she wanted to believe, she could never be sure with Maribelle. Luckily for them, except Gregor’s suggestive glances and eyebrow wriggling, the conversation went on normally, drifting from their respective coffee tastes to pastries to Gregor’s unbelievable debuts as a cook – who knew he would have done so many various jobs before – and kept on talking for a while, even when their drinks were long gone.

 

\--

 

The whole thing was starting to drive him crazy. Why was there activity around that goddamn Breach without any kaiju appearing? Stahl let his head fall on his desk with a groan, his right leg bouncing. Maybe he had drunk too much coffee.

Once this forsaken war was over, he would go on vacation with his family. For a good year at least. His son was growing up quickly, and he was not there to witness it, except for the pictures his wife sent him on a daily basis.

Stahl was tired. Tired and on the edge. Physically and emotionally.

 

When he felt a warm hand on his shoulder, he sighed and turned his head. Phila smiled gently at him.

 

“Are you okay?”

“I’m not sure, actually.”

“Do you want a cup of coffee maybe?”

“I’ve drunk four cups already!” He replied with a snort.

 

She smiled more.

 

“I’ll spare you then. Shouldn’t you get rest?”

“I went to bed at 7 until noon already. And Sully is not back yet.”

 

Phila remained silent and looked at the Exalt, standing in front of them proudly. Its butterfly-like mask covering its face was open for some reparations. She had always wondered why the Shepherd engineers had taken the time to create brand new models each time, instead of building the same one to gain time; adding details like these was strange somehow. She remembered Chrom’s happy gasp when he had seen it the first time; it had been love at first sight.

 

\--

 

            The mess was unusually full when Robin walked in. She raised an eyebrow; most of the people living in the Shatterdome normally showed up for dinner at least half an hour later. There was a strange commotion in the room, a sort of tension she could not identify, as if everyone was waiting for something.

 

“What’s going on?” She asked Gregor as he served her a plate of spaghetti.

“Oh, ya don’t know?”

“…No? Is there something special tonight?”

“I’ll keep the surprise then.” He said, giving her the tray with a wink “Enjoy your evenin’, miss.”

 

            It was in a state of complete confusion that Robin walked away, searching for a table to sit at in the overcrowded mess. She noticed that a few people were leaning against the walls, already done with their dinner. What were there waiting for?

            Flavia caught her attention, waving her arm around. Basilio leaned to the side to avoid her wide gestures, almost jostling Lon’zu in the process. They all moved around to give Robin some place as she walked closer.

 

“What’s wrong with everyone tonight?” She asked, putting her tray on the table. Maybe they would be less mysterious than Gregor.

“You haven’t told her?” Basilio asked Lon’zu, genuinely surprised.

“I didn’t know about it until two hours ago.” He replied with a shrug, then drank his glass of water.

 

            Robin was about to complain when most of the lights went out. The room fell silent, yet the anticipation was easy to feel.

            She noticed that one of the tables had been left empty when Olivia carefully climbed on it, followed by Cordelia, who was holding a guitar in her hands. Instead of her usual orange overalls, the waitress was wearing a white dress with black see-through parts, and stockings. If they sure weren’t on a stage, with the white lighting and their narrow table, the cheering and whistling going on around the two girls made her forget about it. There were hands slamming on the tables or trays, like thunder rolling and coming closer every second.

 

“This” Flavia said, leaning closer so Robin could hear her “Is what we were all waiting for.”

“Oh.” Was the only thing she could murmur.

 

            Lon’zu looked at her from the corner of the eye, and hid his growing smile with his hand. Olivia waited until the room fell silent to speak, standing a bit too straight than she should.

 

“Alright. So” she started – Robin was impressed by her ability to speak loud in such a large room without microphone – “tonight’s event wasn’t originally planned. I’m glad everyone could spread the word around so we could all gather here tonight.” She took a breath, relaxing a bit “Everyone here – myself included – is fighting on a daily basis against unknown monsters. We united to become stronger. We also lost people we loved. But we’re moving on. There is hope, and we all strive for freedom and peace. So tonight we will celebrate our lost ones, but also the hope for a better future.”

 

            She sighed in relief when everyone applauded. After a minute, Cordelia started playing a few chords, and went on until nothing but the sound of her guitar could be heard in the mess. Gregor served his last tray and leaned over to have a better look, while Nowi sat on the edge of a table to observe them, a happy smile on her lips.

            Olivia let Cordelia play for a while, looking towards Basilio’s table. He waved energically at her, like a proud father encouraging his child at an end of the year show, until Flavia made him sit down again. She smiled timidly, then closed her eyes. Robin was impressed by her ability to get into character in less than a second, leaving the shy Olivia behind to become a self-assured performer.

 

 _And another one bites the dust_  
But why can I not conquer love?  
And I might've thought that we were one  
Why not to fight this war without weapons?  
And I want it and I wanted it bad  
But there were so many red flags  
Now another one bites the dust  
And let's be clear, I trust no one

_You did not break me  
I'm still fighting for peace_

Who knew that a woman speaking with a quiet voice could have such vocal strength. Olivia danced as she sang, and Cordelia’s deep singing joined in for the chorus.

_Well I've got thick skin and an elastic heart_  
But your blade it might be too sharp  
I'm like a rubber band until you pull too hard  
But I may snap and I move fast  
But you won't see me fall apart  
Cause I've got an elastic heart  
I've got an elastic heart  
Yeah, I've got an elastic heart

_And I will stay up through the night_  
Yeah Let's be clear, I won't close my eyes  
And I know that I can survive  
I walked through fire to save my life  
And I want it, I want my life so bad  
And I'm doing everything I can  
Then another one bites the dust  
It's hard to lose a chosen one

_You did not break me  
I'm still fighting for peace_

_Well I've got thick skin and an elastic heart_  
But your blade it might be too sharp  
I'm like a rubber band until you pull too hard  
But I may snap and I move fast  
But you won't see me fall apart  
Cause I've got an elastic heart

_Well I've got thick skin and an elastic heart_  
But your blade it might be too sharp  
I'm like a rubber band until you pull too hard  
But I may snap and I move fast  
But you won't see me fall apart  
Cause I've got an elastic heart

 _Well I've got thick skin and an elastic heart_  
But your blade it might be too sharp  
I'm like a rubber band until you pull too hard  
But I may snap and I move fast  
But you won't see me fall apart  
Cause I've got an elastic heart

 

            By the end of the song, everyone got up, whistling or applauding, sometimes doing both. Unexpectedly, Lon’zu was one of them. His partner noticed how his eyes were shining – with pride, but also because he was touched – and how wide his smile was. Basilio was the loudest of course; he had to share his pride for his daughter. Even Flavia joined him in his display of happiness.

            So that was the surprise. An unofficial cheer-up show. No wonder why Olivia was so popular in the Shatterdome. She had an amazing voice, but what had caught Robin’s eye was how easily she danced. She was graceful and precise in her movements, bewitching her audience with simple move of the arm or sway of her hips. It was a nice initiative of her. She could not directly participate to the fight against the kaiju – although Robin suspected she had the potential to become a pilot – but had found a way to show her support to everyone involved in the protection of the world against their enemy.

            Robin snapped out of her thoughts when Lon’zu stood up and held his hand out to her. She looked at it, then at him, a bit puzzled. She put her finger in his nonetheless, more out of reflex than anything.

 

“Come with me.” He said gently. So gently it surprised her. She followed him, her hand still in his.

“Where are we going?” She asked. She felt some gazes on them, which was making her slightly uncomfortable.

“Here.” Her partner replied, turning around and gently pulling her closer. She felt his hand settle on the small of her back, as he looked at Olivia, who smiled brightly at him.

“W-w-wait what?” Robin mumbled “Are we going like…to dance? Alone?”

“Well, I’m not a good dancer” he stated, then paused when Olivia started singing the next song “but someone suggested that fighting was not the only way to bond with your drifting partner so…” He blushed faintly “Sorry, I should have asked. Does it bother you?”

“No, it’s okay, you just… You took me by surprise here, I didn’t think you could be so bold.” She giggled and smiled warmly at him “Shall we dance then?”

 

            He obliged, and much to her surprise, he wasn’t bad at all. He knew how to hold her correctly – or so she thought, for she wasn’t a dancer herself – and firmly enough to guide her without problem, even if she spent most of her time looking at their feet so she would make sure she would not step on his.

 

“I thought you were a bad dancer.” Robin said, smiling faintly.

“Well, Olivia is a better dancer than I am.”

“Indeed.”

“I used to go with her when she had dancing lessons.” Lon’zu explained “I would sit in a corner of the room to do my homework while she had her classes, and then we’d go home together once she was done. So I suppose I learnt a bit when observing her.”

“Somehow I find this adorable.”

 

            He looked away, slightly embarrassed, and that’s when she noticed that they weren’t alone dancing anymore. A few people had joined them; Virion and Zelcher, waltzing like professionals, Nowi, dancing alone, and a few technicians.

She was about to add something when the siren went off. Olivia gasped in surprise. Suddenly, everything was moving around them: everyone was rushing back to their post, leaving their food on spot. Cordelia entrusted her guitar to Olivia and dashed away, followed closely by Sumia.

 

_A category 4 kaiju has appeared. Exalt and Pegasus Knight are required on duty. A category 4 kaiju has appeared. Exalt and Pegasus Knight are required on duty._

 

The message went on loop, and Robin looked at Lon’zu in terror.

 

\--

 

“Fuck this shit!!” Sully shouted as she ran into the control room. How come kaijus _always_ appeared when it was her time to have some rest? “Where’s the bastard?”

“He’s approaching, and real fast.” Stahl replied, zooming on the map for emphasis.

 

They ran around, giving instructions to get the Shepherds ready for fighting. Emmeryn barged into the room, followed by Phila.

 

“Don’t let it come any closer! We have to drag it as far as possible from the harbour!”

 

\--

 

            Frederick stretched his arms as he quickly walked towards his Shepherd. Chrom was rambling about the monster interrupting their nice evening, but he couldn’t care less. When he was on duty, nothing else mattered, although he was glad that the Minerva had not been called. He always felt more stressed when Zelcher was fighting by his side. The idea of losing her always made him sick. Thankfully, he had always managed to hide it to Chrom; he didn’t want to cause him unnecessary concern, and he could not reveal the nature of his relation with Zelcher to him. Not that he did not trust him – he had almost raised him after all – but he preferred to keep Zelcher to himself, in his head and in his arms. Chrom nudged him.

 

“Relax, Frederick. We’re going to be fine. The girls will be there to help us.”

“Yes.” He replied a bit harshly.

“And we’re going to come back in one piece.”

 

            They looked at each other, and Chrom smiled reassuringly before gently bumping his shoulder. Frederick did not feel anything because of his grey and blue armour, but he smiled back at him. Yeah, they could do it. They always did.

 

“Frederick!!!!”

 

            The pilot froze and turned around. It was Zelcher’s voice. It was Zelcher’s voice, and it had never sounded so alarmed before. He saw her running to him, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, nuzzling in his neck. He lost balance and composure for a second, surprised she would act so intimately with him in front of Chrom – who did not intervene, too surprised to say anything. He hugged her back gently.

 

“What’s wrong?” He whispered in her ear, slightly worried.

“Please be careful.” She whispered back.

“You know I always am.”

“There’s something I have to tell you before you go.”

 

            Chrom did not hear what she told him. But what was sure, is that it shook him. He gasped and looked at her, a mix between confusion, happiness and astonishment on his face. He turned pale, then red, then pale again, trying to say something; no word came out of his mouth. Zelcher giggled and kissed his cheek, the patted his breast plate gently.

 

“We’ll have to discuss this when you come back. Now go save the world.”

 

            He took her face in his gloved hands and kissed her forehead, before letting her go with great difficulty. Chrom put his hand on his shoulder, squeezing it faintly.

 

“Frederick, the others are waiting.”

“Right.” He blurted out, and turned around to resume walking.

 

\--

 

            That was it. That was the moment. Robin’s blood was boiling, her body aching for fighting, and adrenaline rushing through her like an unstoppable wave. She wanted to join in the battle, she _needed_ to join in the battle. And having to stay at the Shatterdome when others were going to fight drove her crazy.

Yet she knew she was not ready. Neither did Lon’zu. Their drift was too weak to be effective and safe. She let out a frustrated scream and punched the wall.

_Why?_

_Why?_

_Why am I so useless?_

 

            Her legs gave in and she sank to her knees, sobbing silently. She didn’t pay attention to the burning sensation in her hand, nor did she try to stop crying. Her panting echoed through the empty corridor. She wanted to fight, she wanted to hide from the danger. She wanted to go help Chrom, she wanted to stop him. She wanted to be on the first line, she wanted to escape.

 

“Mom…” She whispered almost inaudibly, curling up on the floor. She felt so empty. As if her heart had been torn apart from her chest, leaving a giant void she tried desperately to fill.

_They kept on fighting again and again, until two giant claws pierced through the cockpit. They looked at each other, their eyes full of terror._

_“- Robin! We have to –“_

_And then her mother disappeared into the void. Robin screamed again. And again. And again._

            Robin whined, sobbing uncontrollably. It was unbearable. The pain was unbearable. How could she feel so numb yet so hypersensitive at the same time?

 

“Robin?!”

 

            She did not answer Lon’zu’s call. She had probably dreamt it, right? There was nobody beside her. Or maybe there was?

 

            Lon’zu knelt next to her and took her in his arms, cradling her softly. She grabbed the fabric of his t-shirt and held onto it as if her life depended on it, and he held her tighter, whispering reassuring words until she calmed down enough to realise he was there, with her.

 

“W-why… Why…am…am I…a-alive…? Why didn’t…I…didn’t I die…with her…?” She stuttered, trembling “Why is she dead…? I shouldn’t be alive…”

“Shh Robin, you’ll be okay. It’s gonna be alright.”

“I want to go…” She continued “I have to… Or they’re going to die too…”

“They’ll be fine, I promise.”

“I want to fight…!” She squealed, her shoulders shaking with her short breath.

 

            Lon’zu frowned, and rocked her gently, stroking her hair with a hand. He waited a minute or two, letting her calm down by herself, then finally spoke.

 

“Wanting to fight to protect the other pilots is a noble decision. But it does not mean you should die doing so.” He snorted faintly, his voice getting softer “Besides, remember that I’m here. If you tried to die on battlefield, you would kill me too, and that’s murder. You don’t want to murder me, right?”

“…No.” She mumbled, hugging him tighter.

“So you have to live. Understood?”

 

Robin nodded against his chest, but did not say anything. He shifted, passing his arm under her legs, and stood up, carrying her in his arms.

 

“I’m going to bring you to the infirmary.”

“Don’t…Please…” She murmured.

“You need help, Robin.”

“Libra gave me pills, I’ll use them for now. He has other problems than taking care of some veteran with PTSD.”

“It is as important as a physical wound, you know.”

“Please… I just need some calm now.”

“…Alright. But I’ll stay with you tonight.”

 

Robin jolted out of her drowsiness, wiping her eyes.

 

“What? No no, I won’t bother you with this.”

“You’re my partner, I’ll stay with you, end of discussion.”

“But-“

“No buts. You suddenly ran out of the mess when the alarm went off, it took me ages to find you because of that godforsaken crowd, and you’re having a mental breakdown. So no, I am staying with you tonight.”

“I thought women scared you.” She giggled faintly.

“Not the ones who get into my brain.”

“Must be quite a lot of people.”

 

Lon’zu tilted his head back and laughed wholeheartedly.

 

\--

 

_\- Exalt, we’ll be initializing the drift in ten seconds._

            Chrom closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then exhaled in one go. The kaiju was coming closer every minute that passed, and they had to stop it before it did any casualties.

 

_A flash of light. Emmeryn held out her hand to him with a bright smile. Lissa was playing in the garden. The smell of cookies in the oven. Wiping away his friend’s tears, promising her he would help her take care of her siblings. Getting scolded for having fought at school in order to protect his little sister. He shook Zelcher’s hand with a little more enthusiasm than expected. He yelped in surprise when Emmeryn told him that Robin would join them soon. Zelcher’s hand caressing his face gently._

_A new flash._

_“Drift initialized, Marchal”_ Stahl announced.

_“Exalt, follow the Pegasus Knight immediately!”_

“Understood, Marshal.” Frederick replied.

 

            Chrom knew something was off with Frederick. He never thought about Zelcher when they were drifting. In fact, he had never seen her in his thoughts; it was the first time he saw her showing affection to his copilot. So there was something going on with her.

            For some obscure reason, Frederick couldn’t stop thinking about his childhood. He was focused on the mission obviously, and so did Chrom; but a small part of him kept on reviewing his memories with his own parents, as if searching for something.

 

_What’s going on, Fred?_

_Nothing. I’m fine._

_Come on, you can’t hide it. You keep on thinking about your parents_ and _Zelcher._

This time, Frederick could not stop his train of thoughts. He grunted, trying to stop the memory, in vain.

 

_“What’s wrong?” He whispered in her ear, slightly worried._

_“Please be careful.” She whispered back._

_“You know I always am.”_

_“There’s something I have to tell you before you go.”_

_Zelcher’s eyes where shining with a mysterious spark. He could read happiness in her eyes, but also a hint of worry. She hesitated a couple of seconds and he leaned closer, nodding to encourage her._

_“I’m pregnant.” She whispered so faintly he thought he had dreamt it._

_“…What?”_

_“There’s a baby inside me, Frederick.”_

Chrom let out a high-pitched yelp.

 

“Oh mY NAGA SHE’S PREGNANT!”

“Chrom, please-“

“I thought you had not made a move yet WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S EXPECTING A CHILD.”

 

            Emmeryn blinked, her fingers on the microphone and her words stuck in her throat. Stahl looked at her, astonished. Sully let out a victorious shout, throwing her fist in the hair, claiming she had won her bet against Virion.

 

Well, that was unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who didn't know, the song Olivia is singing is Elastic Heart by Sia.  
> Next chapter will (finally) be a kaiju fight, yay!!!! (How do I write fighting scenes haha *sobs*)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed your reading!


	10. To Fight Monsters, We Created Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Palne observed the horizon as she got out of the car. Beyond the bright city lights were the monster and the two Shepherds. She could even see the lightning the Pegasus Knight made whenever its spear hit the kaiju. The scenery was strange to see, with the fight going on in the background while the buildings and the streets were plunged in an absolute light and silence, except for the sirens.
> 
> “You might find it weird,” she commented as Vaike got out as well “but this reminds me of a Renaissance painting.”  
> “I’d gladly agree if I knew what a Renaissance painting is.” He snorted, making her roll her eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas everyone!!!  
> I can't believe I'm posting this on a December 24th haha. I thought I'd never manage to write the fight correctly. I did my best though, I hope you'll like it!

            Cordelia was taking long breaths, walking in perfect synchronicity with Sumia towards the kaiju. If they seemed to be calm, they could still feel the adrenaline – with a slight hint of fear, that they had learnt to control with the years – running in their veins. They could not see the beast yet, but their radar had already located it.

 

“ _Pegasus Knight, Exalt_ ”, Marshal Emmeryn said through the radio “ _You need to apprehend the kaiju before it reaches the city. We can’t afford any casualties.”_

“Any informations about it yet?” Sumia asked.

“ _Category three kaiju. Average speed, no particular observations yet. Codename: Risen._ ”

“ _A piece of cake.”_ Chrom commented.

“ _Please do not take any rash decisions.”_ Emmeryn threatened. The girls could easily imagine her frown.

 

Cordelia turned the radio off and looked at Sumia.

 

_Ready?_

_Coming through!_

 

They smiled at each other and nodded, then resumed walking in the bay’s deep waters. The ground started trembling as the kaiju came within sight, snarling loudly. A quick glance at the radar indicated Sumia that they were closer to it than they were to the Exalt, meaning that they’d have to start fighting it alone.

The kaiju was slightly taller than their Shepherd. Larger, also. It standed on both legs, its long clawed arms already outstretched in attempt to reach the Pegasus Knight. The beast had another pair of arms, smaller this time, at waist level. Its head was too sharp to Cordelia’s taste; too many spikes, like a porcupine, and too many pointy teeth. She could already imagine the reparations on their Shepherds. Sumia, as an answer, showed her one of their first shared memories, when they had gone on a school trip to the zoo. One of the boys in their class had brought back a long porcupine quill he had found nearby the animal’s enclosure. Cordelia snorted.

 

_Gods, I hate when they have so many arms and teeth!_

_We’ll be fine, the Exalt is there too._

 

            The beast shrieked and swooped on them. The Shepherd barely had the time to raise its right arm in attempt to block the attack, getting stuck between the kaiju’s strong maw. The girls groaned in unison.

 

_Cordelia!_

_Yes!!_

 

            The red-haired pilot started hitting the monster in the stomach with all her strength, until it let their arm go with a loud growl. Sumia quickly reached for her control panel and switched a couple of buttons on, and a long beep filled the cockpit.

 

“Spear activated!!”

 

            The Shepherd joined both hands, and slowly pulled them apart, summoning the weapon. It was long, with an electrified spearhead at its end, shaped like a W. Risen attacked again. Cordelia and Sumia dodged the assault and struck the beast in the shoulder, inflicting a powerful electric discharge at the same time. It shrieked and pushed them away, making them lose balance. Cordelia swore between her teeth. Sumia screamed as she saw a giant clawed hand aiming at the head of their Shepherd.

The next second, it was gone.

The kaiju fell in the water, the Exalt facing it, returning to a combat position.

 

_“Pegasus Knight! Are you okay?!”_ Chrom asked, panting faintly in his microphone.

“Yes!” Cordelia quickly replied, ignoring the images that went through Sumia’s brain.

 

            Chrom looked at Frederick and smiled, as the monster was slowly emerging from the waters.

 

“Sword time?” He asked.

“Sword time.” His copilot replied, already activating the interface.

 

            In a matter of seconds, a large double edged sword – with a hole near its guard – extended the Exalt’s right arm. The two Shepherds stood next to each other, ready to continue the fight.

 

“ _Falchion is out already_?” Cordelia teased.

“It was starting to get rusty.” Chrom snorted.

 

The kaiju shrieked and hurled itself at them.

 

\--

           

            Lissa caught her breath as she slowed down her running pace. Maribelle was already in the main hangar of the Shatterdome, waiting for her. An entire crowd had gathered on front of the giant screen, under the war clock, to watch the fight. She joined her, pinching her lips and setting her gaze on the monitor worriedly.

 

“How is it going?” She asked, her voice trembling faintly.

“For now, they’re fine.” Her friend said reassuringly.

 

            Lissa stood next to her, and they discreetly laced their fingers. She couldn’t help but squeeze Maribelle’s hand faintly. She hated watching the fights, but she had to; for she needed to analyse the kaiju’s behaviour. There was also, maybe, a hint of morbid curiosity, although she did not want to admit it.

            She knew that Chrom and Frederick were good fighters. But she also knew that her brother had drifting problems; she was always scared at the idea that going out of the line at the wrong moment could cost them their lives.

 

            Zelcher was standing a few meters behind, wringing her hands. She usually kept a stern look on her face whenever she witnessed a fight. But now her – and Frederick’s - life was about to change. With life now growing inside of her, it was hard for her to imagine that she could give birth to a child who – maybe – would not know their father. If she did not die herself on duty before. Virion slipped next to her and put his hand on the small of her back.

 

“You look under the weather, my dear. Are you feeling alright?” He inquired, gently rubbing his thumb in attempt to ease her.

“As fine as someone watching a fight could be.” She sighed, then smiled at him, although sadly “I’m worried for them.”

“You hide it better, usually. Is something the matter?” He said, leaning closer and looking at her straight in the eyes.

 

            Zelcher pinched her lips. Frederick did not hold him dear to his heart, but Virion was her copilot and friend. She had hidden their relationship to him – even if she knew that he had doubts, just no proof of it – but this was a secret she would probably not be able to hide for long. She pulled on his shirt, inviting him to lean closer, and whispered in his ear. He looked back at her, his eyes wide in surprise, and blinked.

 

“I beg your pardon?” He asked with a low voice.

“You heard me right.”

 

He glanced at her stomach, then back at her eyes.

 

“For how long?” He continued.

“Around a month and a half.”

“No, I mean, for how long did you know?”

“Libra saw it during my check-up this afternoon,” she declared, cupping his cheek gently “Nobody knows yet, except Frederick.” She frowned faintly “Please do not tell anyone.”

“I won’t, I swear. But… Why did you hide your relationship from me?”

“A woman has to keep her secrets.” Zelcher said, winking at him.

 

\--

 

            Gregor put his hands on his hips and sighed loudly. Nowi pouted, mumbling about the fact that kaijus had the bad habit of showing up when things were starting to get fun. Olivia sat on the table she had been dancing on, keeping Cordelia’s guitar in her arms. Lon’zu had disappeared in the crowd, following Robin who had dashed away. In less than a minute, the messed had been left empty, except for the three of them.

 

“Well, I guess it’s our time to clean up.” Gregor said, looking at all the trays left on the tables.

“Yes…” Olivia said, but her voice sounded off.

“I’ll take care of this!” Nowi stated, taking the guitar from Olivia’s hands. She climbed on the table and, imitating a rock star on stage, started playing random chords with some difficulty “I’ll motivate you with some music!!”

“Nowi, don’t try to escape ya’ fate.” The man teased.

“I’m not, I’m encouraging you!” The girl giggled, playing more dramatically “And I’ve got a thick skiiin and an elastic heeeeaaaart ~” she started singing.

“Nowi, sweetie, I love ya but ya need to stop.” Gregor laughed, walking to her and taking the guitar from her hands “We’re tryna’ save this place from the kaijus, it’s not for ya to destroy it with the echo of your adorable voice.”

“Meanie.” She pouted and got to work.

 

            Olivia smiled at her and stood up to start cleaning as well, while the cook was putting the guitar in a corner. The waitress would bring it to Cordelia once she’d be back from her mission. She heard someone clearing their throat and looked towards the entrance of the mess. Basilio was there, along with Flavia.

 

“Ain’t you watching the fight?” Gregor asked when he noticed them, taking several trays at once in his arms.

“Nah, those kids can manage on their own, I’m not worried about them.” Basilio said, waving his hand and coming closer.

“We thought that maybe you’d need help.” Flavia added, gesturing at the tables “everyone left in a rush to prepare the Shepherds.”

“I won’t say no!” Gregor laughed, tilting his head back.

“I want a drink after that, though.” Basilio bargained with a crooked grin.

 

            With the pilots’ help, things went way faster than expected. At the general demand, Olivia singed again, carrying trays back and forth to the kitchen. She almost forgot about the fight going on, even if Chrom was still somehow in the back of her head. She silently prayed he and the girls would be fine.

 

\--

 

            Lon’zu gently put Robin down in front of the door of her room, and waited for her to open it. Once in, she took her shoes off with a sigh and threw them near the closet, as he glanced around in silence. He closed the door behind him and crossed his arms.

 

“Go take a shower.” He said with a serious voice.

“What?” Robin asked, turning around.

“Go take a shower.” Lon’zu repeated.

“But I showered earlier.”

His expression softened “Then go take another one. You’ll feel better.”

 

            Robin gently smiled at him and nodded. She grabbed clean clothes and headed to the bathroom. Half a minute later, Lon’zu heard the water flowing and sat at the table, waiting for her to be done.

            She tied her hair into a messy bun and stepped into the shower. She sighed as the hot water ran down her shoulders and back, and crouched, wrapping her arms around her knees. Lon’zu was right; she was feeling warmer and slightly more relaxed, although she still couldn’t get rid of the weight crushing her ribcage. She did not move, only concentrating on the feeling of the hot water falling on her back. It was only when she could not feel the blood in her feet anymore that she stood up, keeping balance by putting a hand on the cold tiled wall. She took some water in her hands and splashed her face with a loud sigh.

 

            Lon’zu barely lifted his head when she came out of the bathroom, brushing her hair absentmindedly. He seemed to be absorbed by his phone, wiping the screen swiftly with his finger, a serious frown on his face. Robin walked closer and stood next to him. She smiled upon recognising the familiar slashing sound on fruits.

 

“Fruit Ninja? Really?” She chuckled, putting her hairbrush on the table. “This game still exists?”

 

            Lon’zu’s cheeks turned faintly red, and he paused the game to put his phone on the table. He scratched his neck in embarrassment. Robin sat on her bed, crossing her legs, and made a move of the head towards the device.

 

“Please continue, don’t stop because of me.”

“It’s okay, it was just to kill time.” He mumbled, turning to face her “Are you feeling better?”

“I guess I can say yes.” She said with a not so convinced pout “I mean, I don’t feel panicky anymore…At least for now. Ah, speaking of this.” She turned to her bedside table and grabbed a bottle of water and a packet of pills. She took one and drank, before putting everything back in place and wiped the corner of her mouth “Now I should be okay.”

“Great. Now sleep.”

Robin raised an eyebrow “Excuse me?”

“You should get rest.” Lon’zu explained, mirroring her expression.

“No, I mean, do you really expect me to sleep with you watching me from the table? Don’t take it the wrong way but it feels a little creepy.”

“What do you want me to do then? I won’t leave you alone.”

“You’re the stubborn type, uh?” Robin snorted.

 

She turned her bedside lamp on and stood up to turn the main light off, before getting under the covers. He watched her do, but couldn’t help but give her a curious look as she pressed her back against the wall, facing him. Wasn’t her bed small enough already?

 

“Come here.” Robin ordered, patting the space she had left in front of her.

“What?” He asked, taken aback.

“If you’re going to keep me company, I’d rather have you share my bed than sit at my table and play phone games all night long.”

 

            Lon’zu blushed faintly and scratched his neck. As expected of him, he was anything but at ease. Robin sighed; of course it had sounded ambiguous. She sat up and looked at him.

 

“Listen,” she started, speaking with a soft voice “I don’t want to force you or make you feel nervous because of me. I just…” she put a strand of hair behind her ear, looking down “We drifted together. Which is, in my opinion, the most intimate thing one could do. Granting access to your mind to someone else is a tough decision. So I thought… that it wouldn’t bother you.”

“…You’re right.” He sighed “I’m sorry.”

 

Lon’zu stood up and slowly walked to the bed. After a second of hesitation, he sat on the edge of the mattress, took his shoes off, and slipped under the covers as well. He faced Robin, his cheeks still red, and she smiled reassuringly at him. She did not touch him, contenting herself with the warmth radiating from his body.

 

“Thank you.” She whispered.

 

            He replied with a hum, then tilted his head and lifted an arm to twist the bedside lamp to hide some of its light. Robin closed her eyes, and concentrated on her breathing. She tensed faintly when she felt his fingers brush her cheek, and she looked at him curiously.

 

“Don’t mind me.” He said, smiling gently at her.

 

            She smiled back at him, and closed her eyes again. Lon’zu stroked her hair lightly, combing her long auburn strands with his fingers. He had not noticed how long her hair was, since she always tied it. He then brushed his hand against her face again, and raised an eyebrow when he reached her forehead. Robin sensed his hesitation, and opened an eye.

 

“What’s wrong…?”

“I just noticed something about your hair.” He said, not sure if he should tell or not.

“Yes?” She asked with a curious tone.

“You might take it badly, though…”

“Go ahead?”

“…Your roots are white.”

“Oh, that.” She waved a hand “It’s nothing. I forgot to dye my hair recently.”

 

He raised an eyebrow, silently inquiring her to explain herself. She grabbed the hand that was in her hair and played with his fingers.

 

“It started turning white after…” she whispered so her voice would not tremble too much “after…her…after her death. As backlash, I suppose. I’ve been dying it since then.”

 

            She smiled at him, and he saw all the sadness in her eyes. She was tired, in every sense of the term. He had felt it, the way she could never be at peace with herself. Not until the war was over. Lon’zu let go of her hand and snuggled closer, grabbing her by the nape to pull her against him. She gasped in surprise but, after a few seconds, settled her hand on his waist. She nuzzled against his chest, and he let her go for a second to turn the light off.

He would stay there all night long, to dry her tears and make her feel safe.

 

\--

 

_“Exalt!!! Look out!!!”_

 

            The Shepherd, busy holding the kaiju’s arms and trying to make it lose balance, had not paid attention to the smaller pair of limbs. Chrom barely had the time to notice them that the monster plunged its claws in the robot’s stomach. Both pilots grunted in pain, for they could feel the damage inflicted to the Exalt if it was big enough. Chrom swore under his breath.

            The Pegasus Knight attacked the beast from behind, blocking the spear against its throat to pull it away, forcing it to release the silver Shepherd. Frederick tried to hold back a wave of fear, in vain.

 

“Exalt! Stab it!!” Cordelia shouted through the radio.

 

            The Shepherd did not move. Sumia and her copilot glanced at each other, before they focused back on the kaiju that tried to escape their hold. With all the spikes on its head, it was almost impossible for them to see the other robot.

 

“Exalt!!” The red-haired pilot repeated.

_“They’re out of the line!!”_ Sully interjected _“You have to keep the kaiju away from them until they’re back!!_ ”

 

_Fuck!!_

_We’ll be okay, Cordelia. We can handle this alone!_

_…Your positivity will always impress me._

           

            The Pegasus Knight turned around, dragging the kaiju in the process, and threw the beast a dozen of meters away. The girls took a defensive position, standing between the unmoving Exalt and the alien. Sumia turned her radio on.

 

“Sully, how much time until the Exalt is operational again?”

_“A minute or two at most._ ”

“Understood!”

 

            Chrom squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get back on the line. It was unusual of Frederick to feel fear during a fight, or at least not this strongly. His thoughts were always going out to Zelcher and, if the young pilot had to be honest, the woman took quite a lot of place in his partner’s mind. Somehow he understood why he had left her out all this time.

 

_Frederick_ _? Can you hear me?_

_The high-schooler applied a band-aid on the young boy’s scratched knee. Lissa was jealous of the cool Stormtrooper pattern it had. Zelcher had never looked so worried._

_Frederick_ _?_

_…I’m here. Forgive me for my confusion._

_It’s okay, let’s get back to work now!_

\--

 

            Emmeryn barely held back her sigh of relief. Which was not Stahl’s case, who dramatically collapsed on his chair, tilting his head back.

 

“I swear to Naga I’m going to start growing white hair because of them!!” He grunted before sitting up correctly again, to focus back on the fight.

 

            The marshal bit her lower lip. Fortunately, the Pegasus Knight had been there to help. But luck would not always be on her brother’s side, and it was only a matter of time before he and Frederick got into trouble because of their drifting problems. Maybe it was time for Chrom to find a new copilot. But on the other hand, Frederick was the only one who managed to drift this well with him.

The young man was impulsive, and almost unpredictable on battlefield. It was the main reason why his previous partners had had so many difficulties drifting with him. She pinched the bridge of her nose. Suddenly, sending him to the front lines seemed pointless and dangerous. She’d only end up killing her own brother.

 

            A warm hand discreetly settling on her lower back made her tense up, then relax. Phila gently rubbed her back in attempt to calm her down. The two women looked at each other, and Emmeryn’s assistant gave her an encouraging smile.

 

“It’s going to be okay.” She whispered so softly she might as well have only mouthed it.

 

            The blond woman nodded weakly, and Phila’s hand left her shirt. Somehow, she already regretted its warmth.

            Half a minute later, Libra came in the room. He had braided his hair loosely and left his white coat for a simpler shirt and jeans. He cleared his throat, standing at the entrance to not disturb the agitation of the room.

 

“You called me, Marshal?” He asked with a clear voice.

“Ah, Libra.” Emmeryn let out, then walked towards him “I needed to talk to you in private.” She turned her head to her assistant “Phila, can you take command for a while? I have to talk to Libra.”

“Understood, Marshal.” The woman replied with a nod, then focused back on the fight.

 

            Emmeryn walked out of the room, the doctor following her closely. They did not have the time to go to their office, so she went to a dead end nearby to make sure they would not be heard. Libra pinched his lips faintly upon seeing her upset expression as she turned around and faced him.

 

“Why didn’t you inform me of Zelcher’s pregnancy?” She asked, crossing her arms and frowning.

“I thought it would be more logical to know her decision first, before informing you.” He explained, putting his arms in his back and standing straight, but confidently.

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that since the pregnancy was not planned, if she were to decide to perform an abortion, then there would be no reason to inform you.” The man continued “She told me she would discuss the matter with Frederick as soon as he is back from the front.”

“…What do you think about this?” Emmeryn said, tapping her pinched lips with her finger, her brow furrowed in worry.

Libra smiled softly “It depends. Are you asking the priest or the doctor?”

“…Both.”

“Well, as a priest, I’m always delighted to hear that Naga has blessed a woman with the gift of life.” His gentle smile turned into a faint frown “However, as a doctor, I must admit that I am uncertain about how this pregnancy might turn out. I’m barely starting to get results about the impact of drifts on the pilots themselves, so I have no idea about the impact it could have on a foetus. It’s a first in the history of drifting.”

“What should we do then?”

“I think that the best for now is to wait for their decision. Carrying a child in such conditions will be hard, and knowing Zelcher, she will not give up on the Minerva so easily. So I suggest that we let them settle the matter first, and if she decides to keep this child, then we’ll discuss our options.”

 

            Emmeryn sighed loudly, looking down, and he stepped closer to put a hand on her shoulder, smiling reassuringly.

 

“I know you’re worried, Emmeryn. I totally understand.” He spoke softly, leaning closer.

“I don’t know if I should be happy for Frederick, or if I should be worried about Zelcher.” She murmured, crossing her arms again.

“I will be in the chapel, if you need me.” Libra stated, and let her go as she nodded faintly “Now, you should go back to the people who need you. May Naga guide your path.”

 

He turned around and walked away without looking back.

 

\--

 

            Vaike quickly jogged to the door when he heard the loud and rushed knocks on it, covered by the distant sound of the city’s sirens. He opened it and instantly stepped aside, letting the woman in. A large sports bag was hanging from her shoulder and she was carrying her toddler in her arms, curled up against her and hiding in her neck. Given how his breathing sounded, he had probably cried on their way to the house.

 

“Come in, Palne. I was getting the last bag ready.” Vaike said, closing the door behind her.

“Thank you.”

 

            She went to the living room, where Laurent was already waiting. He looked calm, sitting on the sofa, his feet dandling without touching the ground. There was a closed book on his lap, probably too complicated for a child of his age’s understanding.

 

“Good evening, Palne.” He simply said, smiling politely at her.

“Good evening, Laurent.” She replied, making her child sit next to him “Could you keep an eye on Yarne while I help your father?”

 

            The young boy nodded, but the baby protested as soon as he did not feel his mother’s arms around him. She put her bag down and knelt in front of him.

 

“Mamaaa.” He whined, his eyes teary, holding his arms out to her.

“Shh, baby.” She whispered, rubbing her thumbs under his eyes “Mama will be back in a few minutes, okay? Can you be good and stay with Laurent?”

“I can tell him a story, if it helps.” The blond boy suggested.

Palne smiled at him “That would be perfect, thank you.” She took a bunny plushie from the bag and handed it to her son “Here. Now Laurent is going to tell you a story. Okay? Mama won’t be far.”

 

            The toddler nodded, sniffling, and took the stuffed animal from her hands. Palne kissed his forehead and stood up, while Laurent sat more comfortably on the couch. Yarne snuggled against him, chewing one of the bunny’s ears in attempt to relax.

 

            She had always been impressed by the calm of Vaike’s son. He hardly ever cried – only when he fell and scratched his knees -, always kept imperturbable and spoke politely. She did not know Miriel very well, but she knew that he had taken most of his personality from her. Even though he spent most of his time with his father, he had started mimicking his mother’s way of speaking and behaving. He probably did not fully grasp the whole kaiju war going around them, but unlike other children, he did not seem to be afraid of them. Or not that much. Yarne, on the other hand, screamed every time he saw one on the news. But he was not even three years old yet, and only saw them as big monsters coming to eat him. Which was, in fact, not totally wrong.

 

            Leaving the children behind, Palne joined Vaike in the kitchen. He was busy pouring food in a plastic box, so intensely concentrated that his tongue was sticking out of his mouth. He had closed the blinds, prepared several bottles of water that were on the kitchen counter, as well as a few packs of dried food. She put her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow at him.

 

“What are you doing?”

“Well, I made excellent lasagna for dinner tonight,” he started explaining, before putting the empty dish in the sink “and there is no way I’m leaving it behind. Who knows how many hours we’re gonna spend in the bunker this time.”

“Is the rest ready, at least?”

“Satellite phone charged, new bottles of water filled, dried food packed, portable radio and spare batteries ready.” He listed with a smile, closing his box carefully “Who do you think I am, Palne? I’m a firefighter, I know exactly what to do.”

 

He grabbed a grocery bag and swiftly put everything in it, then walked to her. She stepped aside, letting him pass and go to the living room. The boys looked at him curiously, wondering if it was time to leave.

 

“Are we ready to go, dad?” Laurent asked.

Vaike lifted a finger without looking at him “Give me a second.” He looked at the bags and counted under his breath, checking if he had not forgotten anything “Yup, we’re okay. Palne, could you close the blinds while I put everything in the car?”

 

            The woman obliged, and Vaike asked Laurent and Yarne to wait at the doorstep. The toddler put his hand in the older boy’s, who squeezed it as the two of them obeyed. The man quickly jogged to his car and put all the bags in the trunk. In a matter of minutes, the house was closed, the trunk full, and the children’s seat belts on. Palne jumped in the vehicle and turned the radio on as Vaike started driving away. As direct relatives of members of the Shepherd program, special bunkers had been made for them; they were the only two left using them, the other families having left for safer places inland, and had decided to share one whenever a kaiju attacked. Instead of leaving the remaining bunkers unused, Emmeryn had given them to the town council. They were located in the hills above the city, where the kaijus had never gone to. At least, not yet.

 

            Laurent put his tiny hands on the edge of his closed window and lifted his head as much as possible to look outside.

 

“I can see the kaiju.” He said very calmly.

“Oh really? How does it look like, son?” Vaike replied, looking left and right before changing streets. He was not really interested in the alien, but talking would make him and Palne relax as they drove away from it. Yarne squeezed his eyes shut to make sure he would not see the monster.

“Its size is average. And it has a lot of spikes on its head, like a hedgehog.” The boy continued, holding his glasses with a hand so they would not slip from his nose because of the car’s movements.

“Can you see the Shepherds? Who’s fighting?”

Laurent squinted his eyes. It was hard to see in the dark “Uh… I think it’s the Pegasus Knight and the Exalt.”

“We’re in good hands, then.” Vaike snorted.

 

            They needed less than ten minutes to reach their bunker. Palne observed the horizon as she got out of the car. Beyond the bright city lights were the monster and the two Shepherds. She could even see the lightning the Pegasus Knight made whenever its spear hit the kaiju. The scenery was strange to see, with the fight going on in the background while the buildings and the streets were plunged in an absolute light and silence, except for the sirens.

 

“You might find it weird,” she commented as Vaike got out as well “but this reminds me of a Renaissance painting.”

“I’d gladly agree if I knew what a Renaissance painting is.” He snorted, making her roll her eyes.

 

            They started emptying the car, and Palne went to open the bunker, followed by the boys. As soon as the door opened with a terrifying creaking noise – that sounded like a shriek, which made Yarne squeal in fear – she went in and turned the light on. The neon took a few seconds to switch on, making her squint her eyes. She hated this kind of lights.

            The room was square, with two bunk beds on each side, near the entrance, while the end of the room consisted in a minuscule kitchen, with a sink and a hotplate, cupboards for their supplies, and a bathroom corner hidden behind a half-wall. Fortunately, they had never stayed long enough in the bunker to experiment its lack of intimacy.

            Laurent sat on one of the beds, Yarne following him closely. He knew they did not have the right to disturb the adults whenever they had to go to the bunker, and had taken the habit to sit somewhere until it was okay for him to move. Vaike came in with several bags, while Palne was pulling out a portable electric heater from one of the cupboards.

 

“Gods, it’s freezing in here!!” He groaned.

“It’s the humidity, you should be used to it by now.” Palne commented, plugging the device on and putting it near the beds.

“Well, no.” He grunted again as he went back to the car to take the last bags.

 

            She rolled her eyes and started unpacking. They always had supplies ready in the bunker, but they always brought newer ones whenever they came, in case they needed to replace the expired ones. There was enough to last a couple of weeks – if Vaike stuck to a normal amount of food – which was more than enough. The hardest part was trying to find distractions.

            When she found the radio in a bag, she turned it on and put it on the bathroom wall. The signal was not really good, but it was enough to have an idea of the situation. Apparently the kaiju had not reached the city yet, held back by the two Shepherds. Vaike closed the door of the bunker and turned around, putting his hands on his hips with a satisfied smile.

 

“Done!”

“Good, now give me a hand with the supplies.” Palne said.

 

            With his help, it took them a few minutes to empty the grocery bags, and put the ones with their belongings under the beds. The woman tried to get her son to sleep, but he complained about the bed being too cold. The humidity sure did not help. Palne sighed and stood up.

 

“Alright, I’ll give you a warmer.”

“You took one?” Vaike asked, making Laurent sit on his lap.

“I didn’t, but I can make one.” She stated, already walking to a cupboard.

 

           She took an already opened bottle of water and poured its content in a small saucepan to let it boil. Meanwhile, she helped Yarne putting his pyjamas on, tickling him in the process to make him forget about the cold and the monsters. Vaike, on the other hand, helped Laurent reading his book. When the water started boiling, she went back to the kitchen, and turned to the blond boys.

 

“Hey, Laurent, do you want to see something cool?” She asked him.

“What is it?” He asked back, lifting his head to shoot her a curious look.

“The bottle is going to transform when I’m going to pour the hot water inside. Do you want to see?”

The young boy looked at his father “Can I?”

Vaike lifted him in his arms and joined Palne “Of course.”

“Mamaaa.” Yarne complained, and clumsily walked to them.

The man laughed and took him in his arms as well to let him see “Look, Mama is going to do something really awesome.”

 

            Palne smiled at them, then slowly started pouring the water back in the bottle. The more liquid she put in, the more the bottle seemed to shrivel, the plastic becoming distorted. When she was done, it had shrunk by half its original size. Laurent let out an impressed “wooow”, holding his glasses better, while Yarne giggled and applauded.

 

“Why did the bottle become like this?” the young boy asked her, his eyes shining.

“To be honest with you, I don’t know.” Palne said with a small smile, then put the cap back on the bottle “I think it’s because the plastic can’t handle the high temperature. Do you know what the water temperature is when it starts boiling?”

Laurent did not pay attention to his father as he knelt to put them back on the ground “No?”

“A hundred degrees. It’s three times more than the water you use when you take a shower.”

“That’s a lot!!”

 

            She smiled and put the bottle in the bed’s sheets for a few minutes, then – once Yarne had slipped under the covers - handed it to Vaike so he could warm the other bed. They lowered the radio’s volume, and turned the light off so the children could sleep. Palne sat on the ground, using her jacket to prevent its coldness from spreading throughout her body, and started undoing her hair as Vaike turned a torch on and put it face up, so they could have some light without disturbing their sons.

            She never slept under a kaiju attack. Which could be considered as logical. Vaike, on the other hand, lied down with his son and closed his eyes. He never knew when he would be called to the fire station, so he preferred making the most of his free time and rest.

            Palne took her brush from her bag and combed her hair, before braiding it again. Her companion lazily opened an eye when he heard her searching in the pockets of the bag, putting her brush away before taking out a transparent box of what seemed to be fruits.

 

“Cherries in this season?” He mumbled with a small smile.

“They’re not. They’re chilli peppers.” She explained with a low voice, eating one.

“I’ve never seen chilli peppers that looked like cherries.”

“Stahl had not either. It was quite a sight when he tried one.” She giggled, remembering her husband’s screams of pain before he had drank a whole bottle of milk.

“Are they strong?” He asked, leaning on an elbow to look at her. Laurent shifted behind him and nuzzled against his back.

“Apparently, they’re the strongest.” She ate another one, as if it was a cherry tomato “But I can eat them without problem, so I’m not sure about it.”

 

Vaike knew about Stahl’s steel stomach, but he was not bad himself at handling spices. He held a hand out to her.

 

“You can’t be serious. You eat them like they are sweets, it can’t be that strong. Lemme try.”

“Fine.” She shrugged.

 

            She held the box out to him, and he took a pepper to eat it in one go. If the first couple of seconds of chewing were okay, he had not expected what came next. It was like he had set his mouth on fire. She smirked at his desperate expression.

 

“Don’t you dare spit it. Swallow.” She ordered.

“I’m gonna die.” He whispered weakly, but swallowed nonetheless.

“You’re not going to die.” She groaned, rolling her eyes.

“It feels like I’ve just eaten Hell itself.” He whispered again, breathless and his eyes teary “My tongue burns, my stomach is on fire, I’m gonna sweat and cry all the water within my body. Please tell Miriel that I love her.”

“Vaike, they’re just peppers.” Palne said with a blasé look, and ate one more for better emphasis.

“So this is how napalm feels.” He added, ignoring her.

She stood up with a sigh “alright, where did you put the milk?”

 

He did not answer, his eyes going wide. She raised an eyebrow.

 

“Vaike?”

“I… I forgot it.”

 

\--

 

            Miriel was tapping her right foot, arms crossed and brow furrowed. Ricken could understand she was nervous and tried to focus on her work to forget about it, but the sound of her heel on the ground was starting to get really maddening. Especially since it was the only sound he could hear in the room. He groaned and turned to face her, keeping balance by holding on the ladder with one hand as he pointed at her with the other.

 

“Miriel, you’re worried.” He stated.

“I am not. What makes you think I could be?” She replied, tensing up even more.

 

            The young man sighed and let himself slide down the ladder. He put his chalk on the front pocket of his shirt and dusted his clothes and hands.

 

“Don’t play pretend, Miriel. You’re like this every time a kaiju appears. It hasn’t reached the city yet, they’re safe.”

“I know. That’s what I hate about feelings such as fear and worry: they’re unjustified.” She said, trying to keep her composure.

 

            Ricken sighed again, scratching the back of his neck. He could understand her worry, or at least try to. While she was safe in the Shatterdome, her husband and son only had a mere bunker in the hills, if they even managed to reach it. His family still lived in Ylisstol, and he was the one to have moved to the coast to join the army. He did not have much to worry about, except for the safety of the pilots.

            Miriel bit her thumb, looking away. It was so unusual of her, yet it was inevitable each time the city was under attack. If she could keep calm and imperturbable all the time, her family was her only weakness.

 

“Listen,” He said, walking to her to pat her arm reassuringly “if anything went wrong, Vaike would keep you updated. And secondly, he knows how to react during attacks. You trust him, don’t you?”

“Of course. Trust is the basis of any kind of lasting relationship.” She replied, not so convinced by his words.

“Then they’re going to be fine. Stahl’s family is there too, so they can reason with him if he decides to do something reckless.” He smiled at her “I can work alone, if you need to take a break.”

“And do what? Go watch these monsters on a giant screen with the others? I’d rather stay here and work.” She hissed, then walked to the blackboards “Come on, let’s focus back on this.”

 

            Ricken observed her for a couple of seconds, then shrugged. Miriel could stubborn when she wanted to.

\--

 

            Risen let out a harrowing shriek, then jumped on the Exalt, who pushed it away with a strong kick. The Shepherd had managed to cut one of its lower arms while the Pegasus Knight had aimed for one of its legs, striking it with its spear. The fight had gone on and on without stopping, yet the beast did not seem to be tired from its incessant attacks. The pilots, on the other hand, were starting to have a hard time following its movements and dodging them. Even if no side had taken an advantage on the other, they were starting to get dangerously close to the harbour.

            Chrom could feel the sweat making his hair sticky against his skin. His breath was short, so was Frederick’s. He turned his radio on.

 

“Pegasus Knight, are you alright?” He asked, trying to get some air back into his lungs.

Cordelia’s raspy voice confirmed his doubts “We’re okay, just… just a bit out of breath.”

_“I’m sending the East Khan to help.”_ Emmeryn stated.

“No need to, Marshal.” Frederick interjected.

 

            At least Chrom and him agreed on this point: there was no need to send a third Shepherd for this. Two against one was already enough, sending the East Khan would only make the battle messier. The beast did not move for a few seconds. There was a silence on the other side of the radio, then Emmeryn spoke again.

 

_“Alright. But if in five minutes you’re still stuck with it, we’ll send help.”_

“Understood.” The four pilots replied in a single voice.

 

            Further ahead, the kaiju started growling strangely. Chrom frowned. It was not normal. The way it stood on its four limbs was anything but normal.

 

_What is it doing?_

_I don’t know, and I’m not sure I want to. We shan’t let our guard down._

 

            Suddenly, the alien roared as the spikes on its head stood on their ends. It bent forward in a single move, its jaw touching the water. As it did so, the spikes were shot at the Shepherds, like sharp arrows.

 

_Fuck!!_

 

The two robots barely had the time to cover their heads. Dozens of spikes went through their armours in less than a second. One touched the Exalt’s butterfly-shaped mask, making the robot lose balance. Another got stuck in its already damaged stomach. The kaiju quickly ran between them, rushing towards the city.

 

“That bastard just tried to gain time!!” Chrom raged.

_“We got it!!!”_ The girls shouted.

 

            Cordelia and Sumia put a hand on the central panel of their cockpit, activating their weapon. Two wings spread out from the Pegasus Knight’s back, each of them having two sets of propellers. If the giant jet pack could not actually make the Shepherd fly, it helped it running faster, especially when fighting in the water. The girls dashed after the kaiju, as the Exalt tried to regain balance. Their computer’s calculations indicated that it would have reached the quay by the time they would catch up with it. Cordelia grunted.

 

_Faster faster FASTER!_

            As they managed to get to the harbour, they pushed the beast aside – that had started to climb on the dock - with all their strength, making it fall back in the water. It gave them enough time to climb on the platform and turn around to face it. Sumia charged the spear to its maximum capacity.

 

“Come on come on come on!!” She grumbled as the weapon loaded, way too slowly to her taste.

 

            The monster roared again, hammering its claws violently into the concrete as it stood up straight, starting to climb it. The Shepherd’s weapon was almost charged, and the girls kicked its sternum in a last attempt to gain time. The alien however managed to keep steady, plunging its claws deeper into the platform. The Pegasus Knight took a step back, gathering momentum, then attacked. The girls screamed at the top of their lungs. The spear lodged in Risen’s head, between its eyes, and it shrieked in pain.

 

“Now!!”

 

            Lightning struck the kaiju. The discharge was so powerful the girls could not see for a couple of seconds because of the blast. The beast struggled and screeched, but the weapon was too deep in its skull to be removed easily. Its skin had been burned from the electrocution, blinding the alien in the process. The remaining spikes on its head stood on their ends again. Both pilots cursed under their short breaths. Not again. Risen roared, and managed to catch the Shepherd’s left arm, starting to crush it with its claws.

 

_If we don’t move the spikes are gonna go through the cockpit!!! Do something, Sumia!!_

_I won’t have the time to charge the spear again!_

            The beast roared more, until the sound suddenly started to fade in its throat. Something shiny sticking out of its stomach caught Cordelia’s attention, the drift causing Sumia to look at it too. The sharp blade slowly made its way up to the kaiju’s ribcage, then disappeared. The Pegasus Knight took a couple of steps back to avoid being crushed under the alien as it collapsed to the ground. The Exalt was standing behind it, Falchion covered in blue blood.

 

_“Is it … Is it dead?”_ Chrom asked, panting.

_“Seems like it,”_ Stahl answered _“We don’t get any life signal here.”_

 

            The Pegasus Knight pulled on the spear – which did not move -  and repeated the operation while putting a foot on the kaiju’s head. They finally dislodged the weapon, a disgusting cracking sound coming out of its skull while doing so. It did not move in the slightest.

 

“Yup, it’s dead.” Cordelia stated.

“Yay!!” Sumia squealed in happiness, throwing her right arm in the air. A shot of electricity went towards the skies, and Cordelia glared at her.

“Sumia! The spear!”

“…Oops.”

 

\--

 

Sully groaned and leaned on her elbows, resting her head between her hands.

 

“I swear to the gods I’m gonna kick Chrom’s ass. Have you seen the state of the Exalt? I’m gonna make them take out those spikes one by one with their teeth.”

“Well, excuse me but at least it doesn’t have a crushed arm.” Stahl commented, crossing his arms with a frown.

“If Shepherds had guts, the Exalt’s would be out already.”

 

Emmeryn’s cough brought them back to reality, and both mumbled excuses.

 

“Pegasus Knight, Exalt, good job.” She said through the radio “Come back to the Shatterdome.”

_“Yes Marshal.”_

 

Cutting the communication, the blond woman allowed herself a sigh. Sending two Shepherds had been a good decision. If one of them had gone alone, they would probably not have come back alive. Phila put her hand on her shoulder, saying she would take over for the rest of the operations. She smiled gently at her.

 

“Go meet your brother.” She whispered “I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Thank you, Phila.” She whispered back, before turning to the rest of the room “You all did a great job tonight, you can be proud of yourselves.”

 

            The applause in the room barely managed to cover the relieved shouting that came from the main hangar. Emmeryn smiled. Victories like these always gave her hope. Hope that someday, they would manage to eradicate kaijus and close the Breach. Hope for a brighter future. She coughed faintly again, then walked out of the room.

            She would first go meet the pilots to congratulate them, and maybe have a word with Chrom. She would also take advantage of the moment to have a talk with Frederick. Or at least tell him they needed to talk. She remembered Libra’s words and considered joining him at the chapel afterwards, but she was exhausted and craved her bed. Prayers would be for the following morning.

            Somehow, she was not surprised to see Gaius on her way to the decks. He was leaning against a wall, a lollipop in his mouth, which he stopped eating to smirk at her.

 

“Good evening Marshal. Or should I say morning? I lost track of time with all this fighting.”

“Good evening, Gaius.” She replied as she walked by without looking at him. He started following her, staying a couple of steps behind her.

“I hope you have not forgotten our agreement?” He continued.

“Of course not. The carcass is yours.”

“Hers.” He corrected, smirking more “I could not care less about kaijus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: the plastic bottle thing Palne does happened to me once, so I thought it'd be fun to share (I needed a warmer and forgot mine at home, so I made one with a plastic bottle that I put in a washcloth afterwards.  
> I hope the fight was well described and that you liked it! I had a hard time writing it haha. I wish I could have made the scenes last longer, but to be honest putting what I see on screen/in my head on paper is a hard exercise.  
> Also, I reread the whole fic the other day, and I must apologize to anyone who read it in one go. The timeline is so fucked up (well, I started writing this almost three years ago and I did not know where it was going so...)! I mean, I wrote the chapter thinking that Laurent was five, until I rediscovered that I had written that he was in fact seven.
> 
> Merry Christmas again, and Happy Holidays for the ones who do not celebrate it!!


	11. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He put his hand on her arm and made her turn around slowly. She obliged, her eyes never leaving his as she leaned against the sink. He couldn’t guess what she could be thinking, for nothing in her expression could give away her feelings. Except for the redness of her cheeks and her shinning eyes. His hand went back up her shoulder and neck, and grabbed her chin gently to lift her head. Not that he was towering above her anyway, they were just two mere inches apart. As slowly as he could, he leaned towards her, tilting his head faintly. He glanced at her lips, silently asking his question. She glanced at his in answer, and he leaned even closer, holding his breath and closing his eyes.

            The lights were already on when Libra entered the chapel. He smiled to himself upon recognising the long black hair of the woman sitting in front of the statue of Naga, legs and arms crossed. He closed the door in silence and walked to her, then sat on the chair next to hers.

 

“It is always a pleasure to see you, Tharja.” He said without looking at her.

“Good evening, Libra.” She replied, not bothering looking at him either.

 

            A long silence settled in, during which Libra closed his eyes and started praying. She glanced at him from the corner of the eye, raising an eyebrow. This whole spirituality thing was above her understanding. Once the man was done, he stood up and smoothed his clothes.

 

“Would you like to share some tea with me?” He asked, turning to her.

“I guess…” She mumbled, standing up as well.

 

            They walked to the small adjacent room and he turned the light on, inviting her to sit at the small table while he prepared the drinks. Whenever there was an attack, Tharja always came to the chapel, which puzzled Libra a bit; he knew she did not believe in Naga or any other deity, yet he would systematically find her sitting in front of the statue. He put two tea bags in white mugs and brought them to the table. She observed him in silence, her gaze lingering on his braided blond hair. Once the electric kettle turned off, the priest took it and poured hot water in the cups, before adding a sugar in his. He put the device away and sat at the table with a sigh.

 

“I’m sleepy.” He stated, rubbing his eyes and leaning on the back of his chair.

“You should go to sleep then.” Tharja suggested, taking her mug in both hands to warm them.

“I can’t, I have to do the pilots’ check up when they come back.”

“Just take a nap? I can wake you up.” She added, her expression remaining neutral.

Libra smiled at her “I appreciate the thought, but I’ll be fine, really.” He sat up correctly and brought his cup closer “Tell me, Tharja, there’s something that’s been on my mind for a while now.”

“Mmh?” she hummed, raising an eyebrow faintly.

“Why do you always come here when a kaiju attacks?”

 

            The woman rested her chin on one of her hands, a faint smirk appearing on her lips. She played with her mug, slowly moving one of her fingers along its edge.

 

“What, you don’t like seeing me around?” She teased.

He shook his head, smiling faintly “Of course not. I was just curious about this habit of yours, since you’re not a believer.”

“So I have to show my believer card to have the right to come in?” She added, her smirk growing larger.

“Stop misreading my words” he chuckled, taking the tea bag out of his cup “You know you are always welcome here, I enjoy your company.”

“It’s not like you have a lot of company in this chapel.” She snorted.

His lips distorted into a crooked grin “Actually, you’d be surprised. But I’m speaking honestly. Although we do not talk a lot, I like “seeing you around”.” He took his mug, blew gently on its content and tried to drink it, before putting it down with a frown. It was still too hot “And you did not answer my question.”

Tharja kept on playing with her cup, looking at him straight in the eyes “I don’t really know. I just… Since there is nothing for me to do during an attack, I just stay somewhere until the kaiju is taken out. I like the silence of this chapel. Its peacefulness. Or maybe it’s its sacred aura that lures me in. Who knows.” She shrugged “It’s not because I’m not interested in gods that I can’t hang out in sacred storage rooms.”

“I did not give you the right to make fun of my chapel.” Libra snorted.

 

            Tharja did not answer and smirked again, before drinking her tea. He raised an eyebrow. How could she manage to drink when the water was still too hot? She did not seem to be bothered by it, and put the cup down with a small but pleased sigh.

 

\--

 

            Libra groaned when he heard the distant sound of the alarm. The Shepherds were apparently back from their fight. He lifted his head from his arms and passed a hand on his face, mumbling something incoherent. He tried to gather his thoughts; he had talked with Tharja for a while, then nothing.

 

_So I fell asleep in the end._

 

            He stretched with a small yawn, and glanced at the table. Tharja was gone, and the cups empty. He picked up a piece of paper that was not there before and unfolded it. He smiled upon recognising her writing.

 

_Thanks for the tea._

 

\--

 

            Robin jolted awake, sweat sticking on her skin, and sat up in her bed. There was nothing but darkness around her. Where was she? What time was it? For how long did she sleep? What was that sound? She passed her hands in her hair, taking  deep breaths. _Right. I’m in my room. Lon’zu brought me there. Calm down._ She took another breath, trying to calm the frantic beating of her heart. After a few seconds, she turned around to search for the bedside lamp and switched it on. The faint light made her feel better, and she leaned against the fresh wall, sighing in relief at the cold feeling against her cheek.

            Lon’zu shifted next to her, and his eyes fluttered open. His sleepy gaze focused on her face, and he lied on his back with a groan, dangerously close to the bed’s edge. He passed a hand on his face.

 

“What’s wrong…?” He mumbled, still half asleep.

“I have to… I have to get up.” She said, although she did not move from the wall.

“Why…?”

She pointed at the ceiling “Listen.”

 

            He finally paid attention to the alarm, and hid his eyes under his arm. There was no specific message, it was just the signal that meant that the Shepherds were coming back to the Shatterdome. All of them.

 

“They’re fine.” He sighed “The four of them are in one piece.”

“Are you sure?”

“The alarm would have sounded differently if something had happened. Come on, get back to sleep. You’ll see them tomorrow morning.”

 

            Robin closed her eyes and inhaled slowly. He was right. Chrom was fine, so were Frederick, Cordelia and Sumia. She could not get up in the middle of the night every time Shepherds were out and ruin her already bumpy sleep schedule once and for all. Lon’zu put a hand on her back and gently rubbed it.

 

“I’m sorry I woke you up.” She mumbled, lingering on the feeling.

“It’s okay.” He said with a voice that he wanted soft. He twisted his body, half sitting up half turning around, and grabbed the water bottle to hand it to her. “There.”

Looked at him and took it, a faint smile on her lips “Thanks.”

 

            She drank a few gulps, then put the cap back on as she brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her elbows around them. The alarm stopped, meaning that the Shepherds were back or almost. Lon’zu stopped moving his hand along her back, but did not take it away. She liked its warmth through the fabric of her tank top. Her gaze wandered aimlessly on the wall facing her, although there was nothing to watch except for the tiny bumps here and there on the concrete, creating uneven shadows. She focused on Lon’zu’s breathing, as a way to keep her mind distracted until she would be relaxed enough to try sleeping again. She could easily tell her partner was falling back asleep, as his breath slowed down and became harder to hear with the minutes. His hand slowly slipped down her back until it rested on the mattress.

            He was doing so much for her. It was the miracle of drifting. A relationship that would have usually taken years, if not decades to evolve into something like they shared, could form in a matter of days thanks to drifting – proof was, he had quickly got used to her being in his living space. They could share their most intimate thoughts, convey feelings that words could sometimes not explain, and support each other through the hard times trauma could bring.

            Robin turned around to look at him. Even in his sleep, Lon’zu was frowning, although his expression was more relaxed than his usual neutral – murder – face. She smiled to herself; if he kept on having his brow furrowed all the time, he would have wrinkles way too soon.

 

“Grumpy idiot.” She whispered tenderly, reaching for his hair and stroking it, entangling her fingers in his thick dark strands.

 

            Lon’zu sighed in his sleep, and his expression softened. Robin smiled more and put the bottle on the bedside table before lying back down next to him. She pulled the sheets up, until they covered their waists. She let her gaze wander on his face, his eyelashes, his thin lips, his strong jaw and the faint stubble that had started to grow on it. She would have to explore his mind further if she wanted to understand all of him, and maybe help him understand himself. She could find herself again in helping him doing the same. She smiled sadly. She was not sure psychoanalysing her partner was a good therapy. But at least it would make her forget about her own problems. After all, even if denial was not the best coping method, it was the most efficient.

 

\--

 

            Chrom took off his helmet with a loud sigh and ran a hand through his sticky blue hair. He needed a shower, it was a matter of life or death by now. He stretched his back as he walked to the entrance in the Exalt’s head, Frederick standing by his side while the metallic doors opened slowly. Emmeryn was waiting for them, Zelcher standing beside her while Olivia was waiting a few steps to their left. Chrom felt slightly disappointed when he noticed that Robin was not there, but quickly pushed the thought at the back of his head.

            The Pegasus Knight was not fully turned off yet, so Cordelia and Sumia were still inside their Shepherd. Emmeryn took a step and smiled at them nonetheless.

 

“Good job, Exalt.” She said softly, a hint of relief in her voice.

 

            Chrom nodded with a smile, which Frederick usually did as well. Except that this time, he didn’t.

Without paying attention to either of them, he directly walked to Zelcher, who raised an eyebrow as she saw him coming closer. He grabbed her by the waist and kissed her as he bent forward, giving her no choice than wrap her arms around his shoulders to keep balance. She gasped against his lips, caught off guard, but quickly composed herself as she kissed him back.

She was not, in fact, the only one being caught off guard. Emmeryn’s complaint about his disrespectful attitude died in her throat as she watched them, blinking. Olivia hid her faint snort and blushing cheeks behind her hand. Chrom’s eyes went so wide he did not even know it was physically possible.

 

“That’s it, the drift messed up his brain.” He murmured, exchanging a glance with his older sister. At least she was as surprised as him. He had never seen Frederick being so bold before.

 

            When Frederick broke the kiss, his languid gaze settled in Zelcher’s. He did not move, and whispered against her lips with an almost unnoticeable frown.

“Don’t do this to me ever again.”

“W-what?” She mumbled, staring at him with trembling lips.

“Don’t scare me like this ever again.” He sighed as he pulled her into a hug, bringing her back on her feet in the process. They stayed silent a couple of seconds until he spoke again “Is this… Is this true?”

“Of course it is.” She replied, nuzzling against his cold armour “Why would I lie?”

 

            The doors of the Pegasus Knight opened and Cordelia and Sumia stepped out with loud sighs, taking their helmets off. Emmeryn regained composure and smiled at them, while Chrom shook his head in attempt to do the same. Both pilots gasped and giggled at the sight of their comrades hugging, until Olivia made a gesture of the hand. The kind of gesture that said “girls, you missed _something_ ”. The Marshal welcomed them back warmly, and instructed the four of them to go to the infirmary without further delay, then announced they would be on leave until the following evening. Emmeryn always insisted on giving leave as compensation for the pilots’ hard work. They still had to remain within reach, just in case, but it was the least she could do for them.

            When the four pilots and their companions left the room, she called Chrom and Frederick back.

 

“Yes?” the two men replied in unison, turning to her. Zelcher stopped walking as well.

“You.” She pointed at Frederick with a slight frown “I want you and Zelcher in my office tomorrow at twelve. Understood?”

“Yes, Marshal.” He answered with a bow, before turning around and resuming walking, taking his lover’s hand in his as he did so.

 

            Chrom waited for his sister to speak again, a smile growing on his lips. He knew what she had held him back for, waiting until the others turned at the end of the corridor. As soon as they disappeared, he opened his arms and she hugged him gently.

 

“Are you okay?” She asked with a soft voice.

“I’m fine. Although I have to admit I understand why Frederick kept Zelcher locked away in his brain for so long! You really don’t know what has been unleashed.” He giggled.

“I can’t believe he hid this from me!” She pouted, letting him go.

“Actually, she told him on our way to the Shepherd so…” he scratched his cheek with an amused expression “I guess it took him by surprise.”

Emmeryn made wide gestures with her hands as she spoke “And me? With all the embarrassing talks we’ve had about protection, how on Earth has it happened to _him_?”

“Wait, so you knew about his relationship with Zelcher?” Chrom asked, blinking.

“Come on, Chrom” his sister smirked “I know everything that happens in my base. And I also know Frederick better than anyone, it’s not like he could hide it from me.”

“…Right.” He admitted with a snort.

 

\--

 

            The girls waited to part ways with Zelcher and Frederick after their check-up with a sleepy Libra, and glanced at their surroundings as they leaned closer to each other.

 

“So??? What happened??” Cordelia asked, her eyes shining a bit.

“What’s going on between them?” Sumia added.

 

            Olivia giggled and kept on walking as she started explaining what she had witnessed. Her cheeks were slightly red, sometimes covered by her hands as she let out an envious sigh. With the three of them being hopeless romantics, gossiping – if they could call it gossip, since everything remained between them whenever they had interesting stuff to share – about couples forming within the army was a way to cope.

 

“Even Zelcher was surprised!” She commented “Like, it really looked like it was the first time he did this to her! I don’t understand why though…”

“Actually…” Cordelia murmured, then nudged Sumia who was trying to muffle her giggle “…Let’s get somewhere safe first. This is top secret!”

 

            They waited until they where safe and unheard in Olivia’s room, and the three of them sat on her bed. The waitress crossed her legs and leaned forward enthusiastically.

 

“So??” she inquired with a curious smile. “What is it??”

 

The pilots exchanged a glance and giggled. They didn’t even need to drift to know what was in the other’s mind. Cordelia decided to explain the situation given Olivia’s insisting look.

 

“Fine, fine! So, we were walking ahead of the boys, and the radio was on. And like, we suddenly heard a high pitched scream from Chrom’s mic.”

“Zelcher’s pregnant!!” Sumia squealed, cutting her off.

“Sumiiiaa, you ruined everything!!” Her friend groaned, tilting her head back.

“No way!!” Olivia gasped, bringing her hands to her mouth.

“Apparently she told him right before they got into the Shepherd and Chrom saw it in the drift.” The red-haired pilot resumed.

“Wait, I thought nothing was official?” the waitress perked up an eyebrow.

“Well, it clearly is now.”

“Oh gods I love this kind of news!” Her expression suddenly turned serious “Wait, is she going to continue piloting?”

“I hadn’t thought about that…” Sumia uttered, tapping her lips with a finger “I’m not sure Marshal Emmeryn will let her.”

Cordelia shrugged “Time will tell us.”

 

\--

 

            Lissa was sitting on a stool in front of her glass containers, absentmindedly looking at the floating organ in the yellowish mixture preserving it. She had asked Emmeryn to send a team to bring her new bits of kaiju to analyse. Her sister’s only vague approval was curious, but she had not commented on it. Maybe she was just tired. They all were, after all.

She stirred her lukewarm coffee without looking at it. The clinking of the spoon on the mug was the only sound she could hear in the room. Maribelle was gone to rest, but Lissa couldn’t bring herself to sleep. The memory of all these spikes piercing through her brother’s Shepherd had made her blood turn cold. If the mask – that she had always found ridiculous – had not been there, Chrom and Frederick could have been wounded. Or worse. She clutched her hand harder on the handle and took a deep breath. Now they were safe and sound in the base, there was no need to go see them right away. They would probably come to the lab the following day anyway.

            The door that gave on the mathematicians’ part of the lab opened, and both of them stepped out. Lissa smiled at them faintly, and focused back on her container. Miriel locked the door and walked out of the laboratory, whishing them a good night a bit abruptly. The young woman looked at Ricken, raising an eyebrow.

 

“What’s wrong with her?” she asked, pointing towards the now empty corridor with her thumb.

“Vaike.” He simply said.

“Oh, right.” She replied.

 

A couple of seconds of silence went by, and he scratched his neck awkwardly.

 

“Aren’t you going to bed?” He asked “They’re fine now.”

“I know.” The right corner of her lip twitched in an attempt at smiling.

“Alright, what’s wrong?” He sighed, pulling a stool closer and sitting next to her. Part of him wondered if he shouldn’t have chosen psychology instead of mathematics.

“I’m not tired, that’s all.”

 

            He looked at her, lifting an eyebrow. Okay, maybe that did not sound convincing enough. They stared at each other for a few seconds, and she took some time to observe the nice shade of brown of his irises. She realised it was the first time he managed to hold her gaze. Especially since the restaurant fiasco. She felt guilty towards him. She had brushed off the invitation, not even paying attention to his words.

 

“Say…” she spoke softly, finally looking down at her coffee.

“Yes?” He asked, leaning closer to her. She pinched her lips and he tilted his head to the side in attempt to meet her gaze “What is it, Lissa?”

“I want to apologise for last time.” She said with a small sigh, then looked at him again.

 

            He blinked several times, clearly not understanding what she could have meant. Gods, he was worse than Chrom. He looked like a confused puppy. She facepalmed with a grunt, hoping it would hide her faint blush in the process.

 

“The restaurant, Ricken. I didn’t understand that you wanted to go with me…only. I’m sorry.”

He blinked again, his cheeks taking an adorable shade of red as he waved his hands “O-oh, it’s…it’s okay, really! I didn’t mind…”

 

            Lissa could not help but pout faintly. She had to admit it, she was slightly disappointed. Maribelle had purposely chaperoned them and enjoyed the huge misunderstanding going on without a second thought. Saying that she had ruined the mood was maybe exaggerated, but she had ruined his plans for sure. Because of her own carelessness. And now he was just trying to be polite about it.

 

“No, it’s not. You probably gathered a lot of courage to ask me out for dinner and I just… ruined it.” She commented, fidgeting with her cup.

“No, really, it’s ok-“ in attempt to put his hand on her shoulder, he knocked into the mug, spilling the coffee on her white shirt as she yelped in surprise “Oh my Naga I’m so sorry!! You’re not burnt, are you??”

“I’m fine, I’m fine.” She said, standing up and handing him the mug “It was cold anyway. Can you hold this for a minute, please?”

 

            He took the cup from her hands, silently cursing himself for his clumsiness. They finally managed to have a talk and _of course_ he had to ruin it. She walked to the sink nearby, taking the stained clothe off in a single move. He gasped and slammed a hand on his eyes, the other still holding the now empty cup.

 

“What are you doing?” She snorted.

“You could have at least warned me! I would have turned around!” He mumbled, his cheeks burning.

“Ricken. Did you honestly think I had nothing underneath that shirt?” She said flatly.

 

            He peeked from between his fingers. She had turned around and put a hand on her hip, looking at him with a blasé face. She was wearing a white skin-tight strap top, and he could see the underlying shape of her bra. He gulped and removed his hand from his face.

 

“N-no, of course not.” He mumbled.

 

            Lissa rolled her eyes and turned her back to him to open the hot water of the sink. She started scrubbing the stain with soap, in attempt to get rid of most of the coffee. Her pigtails bounced in rhythm with her arm as she washed her shirt. Ricken put the mug on a table and leaned against it, crossing his arms.

 

“Let me clean it.” He said, feeling guilty “It’s my fault if it got dirty.”

“Nah, I’m fine.” She waved a hand without looking at him “I’m just cleaning it vaguely, I’ll throw it in a washing machine asap.”

“…Fine.”

 

            His mind was already far away anyway. He had got lost in the contemplation of the tattoo on her back. It was a kaiju, whose head and long horns started at the limit of her hair, going down her nape, while its body disappeared under her shoulder blades, probably going to the small of her back. Its limbs – or wings, apparently – were going down her arms and stopped just above the elbows, and were in various shades of orange, blue, and grey. The real version must have looked terrifying, but he couldn’t help but find it delicate on her slim silhouette. He had noticed the tip of the horns a couple of times, when he caught himself glancing at her nape, but he would have never guessed how big her tattoo actually was. And if he had to be really honest with himself, it was rather hot. He cleared his throat.

 

“Nice tattoo.” He commented.

“Oh, thanks.”

“Which kaiju is it?”

“Grima. It’s the one that killed Robin’s mother.”

“Oh.”

 

            After a few seconds of hesitation, he pushed himself away from the table and walked to her slowly. He stood behind her, although at a respectable distance, but still close enough for her to notice his presence.

 

“May I…?” He ventured.

“Sure.” She said, stopping what she was doing and turning the water off to let him have a look.

 

            Ricken brushed the tip of his fingers on the kaiju’s horns, then slowly let them make their way down to its head. He felt Lissa holding her breath. Shivers covered her neck and shoulders. He inhaled slowly and kept on tracing the tattoo’s lines, slowly going to her right shoulder as he followed the colored feathers, brushing over the straps of her top and bra. She tilted her head to the opposite side, letting out a small sigh. He gulped, but continued nonetheless. His fingers went back and forth, his touch light but leaving goosebumps in their wake. Her skin was so warm. He pushed back his sudden urge to kiss her nape, and stopped moving. She glanced at him from the corner of the eye, and her gaze met his.

 

Maybe…

 

            He put his hand on her arm and made her turn around slowly. She obliged, her eyes never leaving his as she leaned against the sink. He couldn’t guess what she could be thinking, for nothing in her expression could give away her feelings. Except for the redness of her cheeks and her shinning eyes. His hand went back up her shoulder and neck, and grabbed her chin gently to lift her head. Not that he was towering above her anyway, they were just two mere inches apart. As slowly as he could, he leaned towards her, tilting his head faintly. He glanced at her lips, silently asking his question. She glanced at his in answer, and he leaned even closer, holding his breath and closing his eyes.

 

            He opened them in surprise when he felt her finger on his lips, preventing him from going any further. There was a mischievous spark in her eyes, and she giggled faintly.

 

“I think we shouldn’t skip the stages. Let’s go on a proper date first.” She said.

“O-okay.” He nodded, and she moved her hand away from his mouth.

 

            Ricken took a step back and inhaled deeply. Lissa smiled at him, trying to hide the fact that she was probably as flustered as he was. He let out an embarrassed giggle and scratched his neck, his cheeks red. Gods, did he look adorable. She almost regretted her words. Actually, she _was_ regretting her words right now. Naga have mercy on her soul.

 

“You know what?”

“Uh?” He mumbled, looking at her curiously.

“Actually, screw dates and courting.”

 

            Leaving him no time to answer, she grabbed him by the collar of his sky blue shirt and kissed him. She pushed him, making him totter backwards until the small of his back met the cold metal of the table behind him. He gasped against her mouth. After a second of confusion, he kissed her back, putting his hands on each side of her neck so she could not pull apart. When they did, they could still feel the other’s breath on their lips, and kissed again. His kisses were clumsy, but he was not bad at it, if she had to be honest. One of her hands went through his hair and played with the short strands above his nape, drawing a pleased sigh from him. His hands travelled down her body, one resting on the small of her back, the other settling between her shoulder blades. They were cold against her burning skin.

            They broke the kiss to catch their breath. Lissa looked at him through her half-closed lids. He was burning red, and visibly not able to fully proceed what just happened. He opened his eyes and looked at her, then gave her a shy smile.

 

“Just…wow.” He murmured, still panting.

“I tend to have this effect on boys.” She joked with a crooked grin, still playing with his hair “But you’re not bad yourself.”

“Oh…That’s cool… I guess?” He looked down.

“You didn’t know if you were a good kisser?” She asked.

 

He pinched his lips and looked back at her, his brow slightly furrowed. She studied his expression for a few seconds. Then it hit her.

 

“…It was your first, wasn’t it?” She ventured.

“Yes.” He seemed pretty ashamed of it.

“Well, for a first-timer, it was great.” She giggled “What will it be when you’ll get used to it!”

 

            Ricken blushed harder and looked down. She cleared her throat. Did she just imply that there would be more moments like this? Yup, she did. It was too late to turn back now. His fingers drummed nervously on the small of her back, and they looked at each other again.

 

“You know, there’s a first for everyone.” She said, looking at him tenderly.

“But I’m 22.” He frowned.

“And? At least you missed the sloppy-teenage-kiss-with-braces stage. Trust me, it’s not a great loss.”

 

He chuckled, and she smiled. He seemed to feel a bit better about it. He pulled her faintly closer, and looked at her lips again. She giggled and rested her forehead against his.

 

“You could simply say “Oh my Naga Lissa you’re so amazing _please_ kiss me again~”, you know?” She teased with a smirk.

He mirrored her grin “I could.” She raised an eyebrow, and he continued “But it’s funnier to look at your lips and wait.”

“See? You got the teasing part pretty quickly.” She joked and looked for his lips again.

 

            He pulled her closer as they shared a new kiss. Lissa wrapped her arms around his neck, and nipped his lower lip. He tensed, and she whispered a small “relax” against his mouth, one of her hands going through his auburn hair again to calm him down. The new sigh that escaped his lips proved that the method worked. She took a mental note to herself: he liked his hair being touched. To her surprise, he nipped her lips back hesitantly. She stopped kissing him to breathe.

 

“Yup, you’re a fast learner.” She concluded.

“Observation and imitation is one of the most basic and efficient way of learning.” He stated with a proud smile.

“Gods, you’re talking like Miriel, stop this!” She giggled, nudging him.

 

            He chuckled as well, and they stared at each other for a few seconds. Both of his hands now rested on the small of her back. She felt good. Maybe… Maybe it could work. And even if it didn’t, making out sessions sounded good as well. She had not even realised how much she had missed physical proximity with someone. It’s not like she had a lot of time to get a social life anyway.

            Her eyes fell to his shirt. It was neatly buttoned all the way up – as expected of Ricken – except for the collar she had rucked earlier. She undid the first two buttons and pushed his collar aside. She felt his fingers grip her top a bit harder. She looked at him. He was frowning strangely, his lips pinched.

 

“Are you nervous?” She asked with a soft voice.

“A bit.”

“I’m not going to do anything to you, you know.” She brushed his bangs aside and cupped his face “If you feel too uncomfortable, tell me. I’ll stop.”

 

            He nodded, and kissed her one more time, until she escaped his lips and started making her way down his jaw, to his left ear. Ricken’s breath got stuck in his lungs, and he tilted his head back to avoid looking at her and grant her better access. He grabbed the table with a hand, holding on for dear life. His knees weren’t giving him enough support anymore. One of Lissa’s hands tugged on his collar as she went for his neck, the other fiddling with the hair on his nape, sending shivers down his spine. He tried to take slow breaths, his lips trembling. He didn’t know what to do. Gods, he barely understood what was happening to him. His heart was going to burst out of his ribcage at this point. He was burning, and they sure were going to have a problem soon if she kept on going like this. He felt her teeth graze his skin and he held back some sound that threatened to escape his throat. He winced when she bit him, and she played with his hair more to ease him. Which worked. He did not even know about this, actually. How having his hair touched could make him relax. He gulped and took a shaky breath.

            When Lissa decided to aim for the other side of his neck, she shifted to move closer to him, brushing her leg between his without paying attention. Ricken let out a loud yelp, and grabbed her hips to firmly push her away from him, the tip of his fingers digging into the fabric of her pants. She blinked in confusion, bringing her hands back to herself. He was bright red, panting, and above all, terribly embarrassed.

 

“You- You’re too close!” He mumbled, his lips trembling, although his hands remained on her. His eyes went wide upon realising he could be misunderstood “I-I mean…! I’m enjoying this a lot but…”

 

            She raised an eyebrow, trying to understand the reason for his abashment. He seemed fine a couple of minutes before. He hung his head with a loud sigh, and she glanced at his jeans.

 

Oh, right.

 

“Oh, sorry about that.” She said, clearing her throat. She had forgotten about that detail.

“I’m fine, I just…I need a minute.” He muttered, passing a hand through his bangs and taking a deep breath.

“Let’s slow down on first times for now, shall we?” she giggled awkwardly.

“Y-yeah.”

 

            They looked at each other for a couple of seconds, then snorted in unison. They were so pathetic. She came closer and rested her forehead against his, while being careful of not bringing their hips too close. He smiled at her, holding back a giggle.

 

“Sorry, I must have startled you.” He apologised, resting his hands on her waist.

“I have to admit that you surprised me.” She replied while arranging his collar and buttoning his shirt correctly, trying to not smile too much “But I told you to ask me to stop if I made you uncomfortable, which you did.”

“But not in the most polite way ever.” He added.

She shrugged and patted his chest once she was done “Your body reacted faster than your brain, it’s normal.”

“Aren’t you…” He pinched the bridge of his nose, looking for his words “I don’t know…mad at me?”

“Why would I be?” The question quite surprised her.

“Because I… Because I ruined the moment?” He ventured.

 

            Lissa rolled her eyes with a displeased grunt and flicked his forehead. He let out a small whine of pain and rubbed it with a pout.

 

“What was that for?” He complained.

“Because you’re an idiot. Consent works on both sides, Ricken. So let me get things clear.” She counted on her fingers as she enumerated her arguments “First: you didn’t ruin the moment. Secondly: if you or I want to stop, we stop. No discussion. Thirdly: I had not planned to go all the way with you anyway. And lastly: even if I had wanted to go all the way with you, I don’t have protection with me, I assume you don’t either, and I would not have done anything with you without one. Because of diseases and pregnancies mostly, but also because I don’t want to end my days locked in my room with Frederick guarding the door. After he has lectured me for at least a decade.”

He looked at her, speechless, but finally mumbled a small “Right.”

 

A short silence fell between them.

 

“Anyway, I…” she gestured to the door awkwardly “Maybe we should go to bed. It’s late.”

“Lissa.” He said, taking her hand in his. She looked at him expectantly.

“Yes?”

“Is it… What about now?” He asked, trying to formulate his thought “Are there…”

“Are there going to be more moments like this?” She rephrased, a hint of a smile on her lips “I don’t know. What do you want?”

“I… I’d like to.” He blushed and waved his free hand “I mean… Not necessarily make out like we just did but-“

“I get the idea.” She cut him, smiling for real this time. “I’d like to as well. We’ll go on a date soon. Just the two of us. Now, if you may.” She cupped his cheeks and gave him a last gentle kiss “I can feel the endorphins kicking in, I’ve had too many strong emotions for the night. I’m going to bed.”

“I’m glad I helped.” He teased “Go ahead, I’ll close the lab.”

“Thanks.”

 

            She pecked him on the cheek and grabbed her bag before dashing out of the laboratory. When he was sure she would not come back, Ricken let himself slide to the ground with a loud sigh. Lissa was messing up with his brain, and not the gentle way.

 

\--

 

            Zelcher was sitting cross legged on Frederick’s bed, absentmindedly looking at the pictures on the wall on the opposite side of the room. He did not have a lot of them, but she knew there were important to him. There was one of his parents, in black and white, that always caught her eye. Frederick’s father was holding his mother gently by the waist, planting a kiss on her hair as she flashed a bright and loving smile. The shape of a round belly was visible under her loose white dress. The pilot absentmindedly grazed her hand on her lower stomach, shifting her gaze to another picture. She liked her lover’s peaceful expression on the one that had been taken at his graduation ceremony. Emmeryn was by his side, smiling genuinely at the camera, her small hands peeking out of the navy blue graduation robe to make a victory sign.  Another one showed him sitting on a couch, frowning in concentration, playing video games with a very determined 8-year-old Chrom, Lissa bouncing happily on the cushions beside them. There were a couple more photos on the wall, but the sound of the bathroom door opening drew her out of her reverie. Frederick stepped out in grey sweatpants, drying his hair with a towel. Her eyes wandered on the bare skin of his back as he went to his closet to grab a random t-shirt.

 

“Something wrong?” He asked without looking at her. He had noticed her staring.

“No, nothing.” She replied, leaning her back against the wall “I was just checking you out.”

 

            A faint smile stretched his lips and he walked to her while putting the cloth on. He sat on the bed, next to her, and she glanced down to fidget with her hands. She didn’t know what to say. How to bring up the subject. She didn’t even know what he could be thinking.

 

“Are you willing to talk about this?” He asked, slipping a hand between hers and taking one of them in his “We can wait for tomorrow morning.”

She shook her head “No, I’d rather talk about it now. Unless you’re too tired and you want to sleep now.” She chuckled “I don’t even know what time it is. It feels like sleeping at night is becoming more a luxury than a normal thing to do at this point.”

 

            They stayed silent a few seconds, and she inhaled deeply. He laced their fingers and rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand, while he leaned closer and tilted her head up to him with the other.

 

“…Libra discovered it this afternoon.” She started, her eyes finding his. “I wanted to tell you sooner but I couldn’t find you… I’m sorry I blurted it out like I did, I wanted to announce it more properly but…” She squeezed his hand “I was afraid you wouldn’t come back.”

“I understand.” he replied, his expression softening as he brushed his fingers on her cheek “Do you know how many weeks?”

“Around six.”

“So… It happened just a few time after you stopped taking the pill, right?”

 

           Zelcher tensed up. She knew what he was going to say. That she should have been more careful. That she shouldn’t have stopped taking it. She pinched her lips, and he leaned closer with a worried expression.

 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He spoke with a soft and calming voice.

“I’m sorry, it was an accident.” She said, feeling a lump in her throat “but the pill-“

“Was messing up your metabolism and it’s okay.” He cut her “It’s not your fault, and it was your right – your duty even – to stop taking it. I’d rather be even more careful than ask you to take medicine that is not adapted to you.”

 

            She sighed in relief, and put a strand of her pink hair behind her ear with her free hand. This man was too good for her. He tugged on her hand to get her attention.

 

“What do you want to do?” He asked. She couldn’t pinpoint the emotion in his eyes.

“What do you want to do?” She asked back.

“It is your body. I’ll follow, whatever decision you take.”

“I still want to know what you think about it.”

 

            He shifted on the bed, crossing his legs and inviting her closer. She sat between his legs, putting hers on each side of him as he rested his hands on the small of her back. She fidgeted with the collar of his t-shirt. It was worn out, but mended with precision. She recognised his handiwork easily.

 

“Zelcher?”

“Yes?” She whispered, looking up at him.

“If you’re okay with it, I’d like to keep this child.” Frederick said, a faint but genuine smile on his lips “I never thought it would happen under these circumstances but…” He moved one of his hands to her hair, and she leaned into his touch “I want to stay by your side, Zelcher. And I want to start a family with you.”

“But now isn’t the right time.” She stated with a weak voice “There’s a war going on around us, Frederick. It’s not the right environment to raise a child. And what about the Minerva? I can’t let Virion down, it would be selfish of me.”

“As much as I can’t –“ he looked for the correct word “ _handle_ him, I know he won’t hold it against you. It’s not being selfish, it’s for your safety.”

“And kaijus aside?” she sighed.

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve not been a relationship for long enough. I mean, it’s only been eight months…”

 

He giggled and she raised an eyebrow at him.

 

“Eight months _officially_.” He corrected “You forgot the six previous months of unofficial stage.”

 

            By unofficial stage, he meant the courting part. The time when they were going on dates – official or unofficial as well -, when they exchanged long glances in the middle of the mess, trying to discover the other’s feelings through their gaze, when they had long conversations over tea in the cockpit of the Minerva, when she had cornered him more than once on his way back from the training rooms because she craved his touch.

 

“Still” she said, smiling at the memories “That makes roughly a year.”

“And we’ve known each other for a year and a half before that. I think I’ve seen enough of you to know that I want to spend the rest of my life by your side.”

She blushed faintly “That sounded like a marriage proposal.”

“That’s what I had in mind.”

“Oh.”

 

            She looked away, pinching her lips in attempt to hide her growing smile. Things were definitely going faster than expected.

 

“I haven’t had the time to buy you a ring yet.” He confessed, frowning in guilt.

She focused her gaze on the pictures on the wall “We don’t need to get married, you know? I can still stay by your side.”

“It’s not for the symbolism. Well, it partly is, but it’s not the main reason.”

“Then why?”

He made her look at him, and his eyes were shining faintly “I want to be sure that whatever happens to me, what’s mine will be yours.” He glanced at her stomach “Especially if we have a child to raise.”

“Stop talking like you’re going to die tomorrow.” She frowned.

“We can never be too careful.” He leaned closer “Unless you don’t want any of this… I won’t force you.”

 

            She stayed silent a few seconds. She was not hesitating, not at all. She wanted him, entirely, as a man and husband. As the father of their child. He was not wrong when he said he had known her enough; she felt the same way about him. But she had kept these thoughts for later. For after the war. Everything was happening way too soon.

But if the war didn’t come to an end, then she would have wasted her life waiting.

 

“I will.” She announced.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I’ll keep the child. And I’ll marry you.” She smiled lovingly at him. She was sure of it now.

 

            His face lit up and a smile stretched his lips slowly. He was beaming happiness. Zelcher let out a happy chuckle, her eyes getting humid. Before she could do or say anything, he grabbed her legs and pulled on them, making her fall on her back with a surprised cry.

 

“Frederick, what are you doing?” She blushed as he lifted her tank top to her waist.

“Just saying hello.” He whispered, leaving a trail of kisses along her lower stomach, under her navel. He chuckled “Or goodnight. Who knows what the little one might be up to.”

“Gods, don’t tell me you’re a doting father!” She laughed, passing a hand in his hair.

“You don’t know how much I spoiled Lissa and Chrom when they were children.” He said, kissing his way up until he faced her “I promise I will do my best to make both of you happy.”

“Including staying alive?” She asked.

“Including staying alive.” He swore, sealing his promise with a gentle kiss on her lips.

 

\--

 

Chrom collapsed on his bed with a loud grunt. He was exhausted. He had almost fallen asleep while taking his well-deserved shower, the hot water on his skin making him relax a bit too much. He lifted his head from his pillow and turned the small bedside lamp on, then rolled out of his bed at a snail pace, to finally totter to the door and switch the main light off. A loud yawn escaped his lips as he made his way back to his bed.

 

However, even if his body craved sleep, his mind was a bit too much awake to his liking. Sometimes drifting left his brain in a state of hyperconsciousness that prevented him from sleeping. The fight had been hard for the two Shepherds, and he had not expected that sudden spike attack. It was only thanks to Sumia and Cordelia’s reactivity that they had managed to take out the kaiju before it inflicted any damage to the city – except for the concrete on the docks. Chrom rolled on his back, his chain of thoughts slowly drifting to the things he had seen in Frederick’s head. For the first time in his life, he had felt fear in his partner’s mind. Not that he was not afraid usually; but he always managed to keep it rational and push it at the back of his consciousness. But this time was different. As if the worry of losing Zelcher had turned into some sort of uncontrollable fear.

 

On the other hand, except for his sisters, he had no one to go home to. He couldn’t really understand the feeling, even if he had actually seen it from up close. Chrom crossed his arms under his head and sighed. The sudden realisation that he was a mere mortal had shaken his partner for half of their drift. They could die. A miscalculation, a misplaced move, and everything would be over. A single second could change everything. Of course, he knew the dangers of fighting against kaijus. But Frederick was a prudent man and never took inconsiderate risks, thus they were rarely put in immediate danger.

 

“What if I died in my next battle…?” he whispered to himself.

 

            He blinked at his own question, that he had spurted without realising. It was justified though. What if he died in his next battle, indeed? Could he say that he had had a fulfilling life and that he would leave this world without regrets? He had saved countless lives already, and he felt proud of that. Protecting people was an evidence for him. But what about his personal life? He would never get to see the end of the war and watch Emmeryn go back to the peaceful life she had dreamt of for years, nor would he watch Lissa grow and – maybe – start a family. He would never see Frederick’s child, he would never see the house he had grown in again, he would never feel the wind blowing in his hair on the top of the Shatterdome, or hear Robin’s laugh.

 

Robin. He would never see Robin again.

 

He sat up with a gasp, his eyes widening in stupor. How would she react to his death? Would she be sad? Devastated? Would she even care? What did she even think of him in the first place? Maybe she thought he was only a pain, a weirdo, a mere fan who didn’t understand her.

He wanted to understand her.

He was a fan, yes, but now he had spent time with her, he had seen the human being behind the hero.

A human being he wanted to protect at all costs. He felt his chest tighten and a new gasp escaped his lips.

 

He wanted to be by Robin’s side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you look closely, you can spot the exact sentence where my brain went from "okay let's have Lissa and Ricken go on a date before it gets serious" to "YOU KNOW WHAT YOLO I'VE BEEN WRITING THIS FIC FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS IT'S ABOUT TIME THEY MAKE OUT" in 0.2 seconds.
> 
> It feels like this chapter is not long, but actually it's just that Lissa/Ricken and Fred/Cherche's parts are like, 4 Word pages each.
> 
> Also I changed the rating, just in case.


End file.
